Saudi Arabia’s law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 22,000 illegal expatriates in nationwide raids. According to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Interior, the arrests took place between February 6 and 12 during security operations conducted across the kingdom.
Citing the ministry’s statement, the UAE-based English daily Gulf News reported that Saudi law enforcement authorities arrested a total of 22,633 expatriates for violating residency, labor, and border security laws. Among them, 10,822 illegal expatriates have already been deported to their home countries.
The statement further detailed that among those arrested, 13,799 individuals violated residency laws, 5,594 breached border security laws, and 3,270 were found violating labor laws.
During the same period, 2,133 individuals were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross the border into Saudi Arabia. Among them, 63% were Ethiopian nationals, 36% were Yemenis, and the remaining 1% belonged to other nationalities. Additionally, 184 expatriates were arrested for attempting to leave Saudi Arabia illegally.
The ministry’s statement also mentioned that legal proceedings are currently underway against 38,777 expatriates, including 34,708 men and 4,069 women. These individuals are either awaiting deportation or further legal action.
Among those arrested, 29,510 individuals have been sent to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain the necessary travel documents before repatriation. Additionally, preparations are ongoing for the deportation of another 3,678 individuals.
Saudi Arabia enforces strict penalties for those assisting illegal border crossings, including up to 15 years in prison and a fine of 1 million Saudi riyals. The Ministry of Interior has repeatedly issued warnings on this matter.
Currently, Saudi Arabia has a population of approximately 34.8 million people, with millions of migrant workers from various countries employed in the kingdom. Local Saudi media frequently report on continuous crackdown operations and the arrest of illegal expatriates for violating the country’s laws.