Saudi authorities detain thousands in nationwide inspections

Dubai: Saudi authorities arrested 19,576 illegal residents across the Kingdom between 4 and 10 December, according to a report by Okaz newspaper.

The arrests were made during joint inspection campaigns carried out by the Ministry of Interior in coordination with other government agencies.

Those detained included 12,506 violators of the Residency Law, 4,154 violators of the Border Security Law, and 2,916 violators of the Labour Law.

 The ministry said 12,365 individuals were deported during the same period. A further 21,803 were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 5,202 were instructed to finalise their travel arrangements.

Authorities also arrested 1,418 people attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally. Of those, 41 per cent were Yemeni nationals, 57 per cent were Ethiopian nationals, and the remaining 2 per cent were from other countries. Another 24 individuals were caught trying to leave the country illegally.

Officials also arrested 16 people for providing transport, shelter or employment to violators. A total of 30,427 expatriates — including 28,718 men and 1,709 women — are currently undergoing legal procedures.

The Ministry of Interior reiterated that facilitating illegal entry, transporting or sheltering violators, or offering any form of assistance could lead to penalties of up to 15 years in prison, fines of up to one million riyals, and the confiscation of vehicles or properties involved.