Riyadh: In the latest clampdown on illegal immigrants, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) arrested 15,453 expatriates for violating the Kingdom’s residency, labour, and border security laws in one week, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The arrests were made over the period between October 12 and October 18.
The arrests included
- 9,865 violators of the residency laws
- About 3,610 violators of the border security regulations
- More than 1,978 violators of the labour law
A total of 782 people were arrested while trying to cross the border into the Kingdom of whom 68 percent were Yemeni nationals, 29 percent were Ethiopians, and 3 percent belonged to other nationalities while 86 people were arrested for trying to flee the Kingdom crossing borders.
The security forces also arrested 25 people who were involved in transporting violators and giving them shelter.
Currently, legal proceedings are being carried out against 46,907 offenders, comprising 39,198 men and 7,709 women.
- 41,633 referred to their embassies to obtain travel documents
- 1,795 transferred to complete their travel reservations
- 9,280 deported
The Interior ministry has warned that a maximum prison sentence of 15 years will be imposed on anyone caught facilitating someone entering the kingdom, in violation of border security regulations, or shelter.
The punishment includes a fine of up to one million Saudi Riyal, the confiscation of one’s means of transport, and the residence used for shelter, in addition to the publication of their names in the local media.
