Dubai: Saudi Arabia has arrested 19,710 individuals for violations of residency, work and border security regulations across all regions of the Kingdom.
The arrests, made during a security campaign from May 2 to 8, included 12,961 residency permit violators, 4,177 border security violators, and 2,572 labour law violators.
Additionally, border forces intercepted 979 individuals attempting to illegally cross into Saudi Arabia, with 43 per cent identified as Yemeni, 54 per cent Ethiopian, and 3 per cent of other nationalities.
Another 46 individuals were apprehended for attempting to leave the Kingdom unlawfully.
Authorities also arrested 12 individuals involved in the transportation, sheltering, and employment of those violating Saudi residency, work and border regulations.
Overall, 49,407 violating residents, including 3,065 women, have been processed for regulatory violations.
Significant actions include referring 40,391 violators to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents and preparing 3,016 others for deportation.
Additionally, 13,383 violators have already been deported.
The Ministry of Interior emphasized that facilitating the entry of violators, or providing transport, shelter, or any assistance within the Kingdom, could lead to severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, fines up to one million riyals, confiscation of transport and housing used in the commission of the crime, and public defamation.
The Ministry urged the public to report any suspected violations to the authorities by dialing (911) in Mecca, Riyadh and the Eastern regions, and (999) or (996) in other areas of the kingdom.
