The Ministry of Interior announced that 12,098 illegal residents were deported during joint enforcement operations across the Kingdom between October 30 and November 5, part of intensified measures to enforce residency, labour and border security laws.
Arrests & Deportations: The Numbers
Security forces and relevant government agencies arrested 21,647 individuals during the operation. The arrests included:
- 12,838 violators of the Residency Law
- 4,564 violators of the Border Security Law
- 4,245 violators of the Labour Law
Out of those arrested, 12,098 illegal residents were deported. Additionally, 21,800 were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents while 6,012 were referred to complete travel reservations.
Illegal Border Crossings & Nationalities
Authorities arrested 1,943 people attempting to cross into Saudi Arabia illegally. The nationality breakdown among those arrested at the border was: approximately 45% Yemeni nationals, 54% Ethiopian nationals and 1% from other nationalities. In addition, 37 people were arrested for attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally.
Facilitators Arrested & Ongoing Legal Procedures
Twenty‑six people involved in providing transportation, shelter or employment to violators were also arrested. Currently 32,801 expatriates (31,207 men and 1,594 women) are undergoing procedures to enforce legal measures.
Penalties for Facilitating Illegal Entry
The Ministry warned that anyone who facilitates illegal entry, transports individuals on Saudi territory, provides shelter or assistance will face up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to SR 1,000,000. Vehicles used for transportation and houses used for shelter may be confiscated.
How to Report Violations
The public is urged to report suspected violations. Call 911 in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province; for other regions call 999 or 996.
