Saudi Arabia Arrested Over 16,000 Last Week In Residency And Labour Operations
Saudi Arabia arrested more than 16,000 people in the past week as it looks to stop residency, labour and security breaches.
The inspection campaigns carried out in all regions of the Kingdom from May 9 to May 15, 2024, to check compliance with residency, work and border security regulations, saw 16,023 violations recorded, including
- 9,947 of residency
- 3,929 of border security
- 2,147 of labour laws
Some 1,047 individuals attempted to cross the border into the Kingdom illegally, of whom 44 per cent were Yemenis, 54 per cent Ethiopians, and 2 per cent of other nationalities.
34 people were arrested for attempting to illegally leave the Kingdom.
17 people involved in transporting, sheltering, or employing violators were arrested.
A total of 44,056 expatriates (42,239 men and 1,817 women) are currently undergoing procedures for enforcing regulations.
Among the people detained for violating laws, 36,497 were instructed to contact their countries’ embassies or consulates to obtain proper documentation for travel, 1,687 were told to complete booking arrangements for their departure, and 15,566 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, provides them shelter or any other assistance or service may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1m ($267,000), and that the vehicles used for transport or houses used for shelter may be impounded.
The ministry stressed that such acts are major crimes that warrant arrest. It also urges people to report any violations by calling 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern regions, and 999 and 996 in the rest of the Kingdom.
