Between February 27 and March 5, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior conducted extensive inspection campaigns across the Kingdom, targeting violations of residency, labor, and border security laws. The results of these inspections revealed significant breaches of the country’s regulations.
A total of 20,749 violations were recorded, broken down into 13,871 residency violations, 3,517 border security breaches, and 3,361 violations related to labor laws. Additionally, 1,051 individuals were apprehended for attempting to illegally cross into the Kingdom. The majority of these individuals were of Yemeni (43%) and Ethiopian (54%) nationality, with 3% of other nationalities involved. In total, 90 individuals were arrested for attempting to leave the Kingdom unlawfully.
The inspections also led to the arrest of twelve individuals involved in transporting, sheltering, or employing violators. Currently, there are 40,173 expatriates undergoing regulatory enforcement procedures, including 35,862 men and 4,311 women.
Of the detained violators, 32,375 have been instructed to contact their respective embassies or consulates to arrange for proper travel documentation. Another 2,576 have been told to make departure arrangements, while 10,024 individuals have already been repatriated.
The Ministry of Interior emphasized the severity of such violations, warning that those who facilitate illegal entry, shelter, or assist violators could face up to 15 years in prison, fines up to SAR 1 million, and the confiscation of vehicles or properties used in the offenses. The Ministry also urges the public to report any violations promptly via the appropriate hotlines.
