1,450 illegals arrested while crossing border to Saudi Arabia in a week

According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced that security forces arrested 14,434 individuals for various residency, labor, and border security violations during a one-week period. The inspections, which took place between August 20 and August 26, were conducted in collaboration with multiple government agencies as part of an ongoing campaign to regulate the Kingdom's labor market and border security.

The breakdown of the arrests includes 6,976 individuals for violating the Residency Law, 4,110 for violating the Border Security Law, and 3,348 for violating the Labor Law. Furthermore, authorities reported that 1,450 people were apprehended while attempting to cross the border into Saudi Arabia illegally. Of those attempting unauthorized entry, 58 percent were identified as Ethiopian nationals, 41 percent as Yemeni nationals, and one percent from other countries. Additionally, 44 individuals were detained while attempting to exit the Kingdom illegally.

Following the enforcement actions, the Ministry of Interior confirmed that 14,905 illegal residents have been deported. A further 18,914 violators have been referred to their respective diplomatic missions to secure necessary travel documentation, while 2,867 individuals are currently in the process of finalizing travel arrangements for departure. The Saudi government continues to emphasize that anyone found facilitating illegal entry, transportation, or providing shelter to violators faces severe legal penalties, including imprisonment and heavy fines.