Saudi Arabia arrests over 22K persons in immigration violations crackdown

In a significant development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s authorities arrested 20,124 individuals for violations related to residence, labour, and border security laws within a single week of November.

The Ministry of Interior conducted inspection campaigns in the Kingdom between November 7 to November 13 to ensure compliance with residency, labour and border security laws, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

This crackdown is part of a larger set of measures designed to control immigration and address challenges that are associated with migration within the area. Police departments have also come under pressure to increase the amount of resources and manpower dedicated to inspections along with raids in many sectors which are rumored to hiring workers without proper documents.

Across the Kingdom, 20,124 violations were arrested among which 11,607 of residency, 5,285 of border security, and 3,232 of labour laws.

Attempting to cross the border into the Kingdom illegally were 1,401 individuals of whom 39 per cent were Yemenis, 60 per cent Ethiopians, and 1 per cent of other nationalities. Additionally, 98 people were arrested for attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally.

Six people involved in transporting, sheltering, and employing violators were arrested. A total of 21,267 expatriates (18,508 men and 2,759 women) are currently undergoing procedures for enforcing regulations.

Similarly, 13,354 were detained for violating laws and instructed to contact their countries’ embassies or consulates to obtain proper travel documentation; 3,096 were told to make booking arrangements for their departure, and 10,458 were repatriated.

The Ministry of Interior has warned that any person who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into the Kingdom, transports them on its territory, and provides them with shelter or any other assistance or service may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR1 million. Vehicles used for transport or houses used for shelter may be confiscated.

The ministry stressed that such acts are major crimes that warrant arrest. It also urges people to report any violations by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and 996 in the rest of the Kingdom.