Cairo: Saudi authorities arrested in a single week 17,092 illegal expatriates for violating the kingdom’s residency, labour and border security laws as part of nationwide campaigns, the Interior Ministry said.
The arrests, made over the period of March 2-8, included 9,875 violators of the kingdom’s residency system, 4,784 violators of the border security rules and 2,433 others who breached the labour regulations, Okaz newspaper reported, citing figures from the ministry.
A total of 19,490 illegals, including 2,750 women, are currently being subjected to deportation measures, it said.
Some 10,085 others have been transferred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents ahead of deportation while 12,375 other illegals have been deported from the kingdom. Authorities also arrested during the same period 17 people involved in transporting, sheltering and employing violators of residency, border and work regulations.
In recent months, Saudi police announced arresting several people suspected of involvement in assisting border infiltrators and violators of the kingdom’s rules.
The Interior Ministry has repeatedly warned that those who facilitate the entry of infiltrators into the kingdom or provide them with transportation, shelter or any sort of assistance face penalties of a maximum of 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to SR1 million, as well as confiscation of the transport and the accommodation means, in addition to naming to shame them. Saudi Arabia, a country of around 34.8 million people, hosts a large community of migrant workers.
Citing weekly tallies from the Interior Ministry, Saudi media has reported arresting tens of thousands of illegal expatriates in a clampdown on violators of the kingdom’s laws. Last week, authorities in the kingdom announced arresting nearly 14,000 such illegals.
