Nearly 15,000 expatriates arrested in Saudi Arabia in one week

Saudi Arabia's law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 15,000 expatriates in one week on charges of violating residency, labour and border security laws.

The Saudi Interior Ministry announced the figures on Sunday (July 26), as reported by Gulf News.

The statement said a total of 14,970 people were arrested between July 16 and 22 in coordinated operations by various agencies. Among them, 7,437 were arrested for violating residency laws, 3,991 for breaching border security regulations, and 3,542 for labour law violations.

Additionally, 1,626 people were detained while attempting to enter Saudi Arabia illegally. Of these, 62 percent were Ethiopian, 37 percent Yemeni, and the remaining 1 percent were citizens of other countries. A further 33 people were arrested on charges of attempting to leave the country illegally.

During the operations, 18 individuals residing in Saudi Arabia were also detained for allegedly transporting and sheltering undocumented migrants.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said 13,251 people were deported to their home countries during the operations. A further 17,747 have been sent to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, and 6,113 have been ordered to complete final preparations for departure.

Currently, legal proceedings are ongoing against 30,546 individuals, including 28,557 men and 1,989 women.

The Saudi Interior Ministry stated that anyone who assists another person in illegally entering the country faces severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to 1 million Saudi riyals, and confiscation of vehicles and property. The government has been issuing regular warnings on the matter.