Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior said security forces deported 12,628 illegal residents during joint inspections carried out with other government agencies between September 17 and September 23, part of a nationwide campaign against residency, border and labour-law violations. A further 13,628 people were arrested during the same period.
Of those arrested, 6,593 were held for residency-law violations, 3,531 for breaching border-security regulations and 3,504 for labour-law violations, the ministry said. Security forces separately detained 1,197 people attempting to enter the kingdom illegally — 63 per cent Ethiopian nationals and 36 per cent Yemeni nationals — and arrested 27 people attempting to leave illegally.
The ministry said 18,549 violators had been referred to their diplomatic missions to arrange travel documents and 3,815 referred to complete travel arrangements, with 22 people arrested for transporting, sheltering or employing violators. In total, 31,398 expatriates — 29,018 men and 2,380 women — are undergoing procedures linked to their violations.
For readers weighing a move to Saudi Arabia, the breakdown maps onto the basic compliance items that keep a residency in good standing: a valid Iqama (residence permit) that matches the actual sponsor and job, a labour contract that matches the work actually performed, and exit or re-entry completed within permitted timeframes. The ministry warned that anyone helping a person enter the kingdom illegally, transporting them inside the country, or providing shelter faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million (about US$266,700), with vehicles and properties used for such purposes subject to confiscation. Gulf News reported the figures as part of a recurring weekly enforcement bulletin the ministry publishes; the outlet’s own recent coverage shows similar week-by-week totals — roughly 12,000 to 15,000 deportations — in the preceding weeks.
References
Gulf News – Saudi Arabia deports more than 12,000 expats over residency and labour violations
