Saudi Arabia arrests more than 14,000 residency, labor, border law violators in one week

According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced the arrest of 14,154 individuals for violations of residency, labor, and border security laws. The figures cover a one-week period of nationwide joint inspection campaigns conducted between July 23 and July 29. The ministry reported that 7,103 of those detained were in violation of the Residency Law, 3,654 breached Border Security laws, and 3,397 were found to be in violation of Labor regulations.

In addition to these figures, authorities apprehended 1,418 people attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally. Demographic data provided by the ministry indicates that 54 percent of these individuals were Yemeni nationals, while 45 percent were Ethiopian nationals, with the remaining 1 percent comprised of other nationalities. Furthermore, 23 people were arrested while attempting to exit the country illegally, and 17 individuals were taken into custody for allegedly facilitating the movement, employment, or concealment of violators.

The Ministry of Interior stated that legal procedures are currently underway for 30,679 violators, a group that includes 28,187 men and 2,492 women. As part of the ongoing enforcement process, 17,903 of those apprehended have already been referred to their respective diplomatic missions to facilitate further action. These campaigns are part of a broader, consistent effort by Saudi authorities to regulate the labor market and maintain border security across the Kingdom.