Saudi Arabia arrests over 20,000 in nationwide crackdown on residency and border violations
Detainees include 13,248 for violating residency laws
Dubai: Some 20,718 individuals have been arrested in Saudi Arabia for violations of residency, border security and labour laws, according to the Ministry of Interior.
The arrests were part of extensive security campaigns carried out across the kingdom from August 22 to August 28, involving multiple government agencies and security forces.
The detainees included 13,248 for violating residency laws, 4,688 for border security infractions and 2,782 for labour law violations.
Among those apprehended were 744 individuals caught attempting to cross the border illegally — comprising 37 per cent Yemeni nationals, 62 per cent Ethiopians and one per cent from various other countries.
Additionally, 69 people were arrested attempting to leave the country unlawfully.
The crackdown also led to the arrest of 16 individuals accused of transporting, sheltering, or employing those without legal status.
Currently, 14,634 expatriates — 13,532 men and 1,102 women — are undergoing legal proceedings.
As part of the enforcement actions, 5,361 violators were directed to obtain travel documents from their diplomatic missions, 1,982 were instructed to finalize their travel bookings, and 12,410 were deported.
The Ministry has warned against helping illegal activities, stating that such actions could lead to penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines up to SR1 million. Additionally, vehicles and properties used in these activities may be confiscated.