More than 17,000 expatriates have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in one week for violating housing, labor, and border security laws, according to a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Interior, as reported by the UAE-based English daily Gulf News.
The report says that from April 24 to April 30, a total of 17,153 migrants were detained during nationwide security operations across Saudi Arabia.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the arrests include:
10,305 for violating housing laws,
3,644 for breaching border security regulations,
3,204 for labor law violations.
The operations were conducted jointly by various security forces and government agencies.
The statement further mentioned that 1,109 individuals were detained while attempting to enter Saudi Arabia illegally. Among them, 62% were Ethiopian nationals, 35% were Yemenis, and the remaining 3% were from other countries.
In addition, 13 residents of Saudi Arabia were arrested for harboring or transporting individuals who violated housing and labor laws.
Currently, legal procedures are underway against 28,706 expatriates—27,022 men and 1,684 women. Among those arrested, 20,537 are being processed through their respective embassies to obtain necessary travel documents before repatriation.
Furthermore, deportation orders have been finalized for 2,484 individuals, while 15,402 have already been repatriated from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi law stipulates up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of 1 million Saudi Riyals for those found guilty of aiding illegal border crossings. The Ministry of Interior continues to issue warnings on this matter.
Saudi Arabia, a desert nation with a population of around 34.8 million, employs millions of migrant workers from various countries. Local media regularly report on ongoing crackdowns against illegal residents and law violators in the country