Play store
Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 14,970 people in a nationwide week-long crackdown for violating residency, labour and border security laws, the Kingdom’s Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
According to the ministry, the arrests were made between July 16 and July 22. Of those detained, 7,437 were accused of violating residency regulations, 3,991 were held for breaching border security laws, and 3,542 were arrested for labour law violations, Gulf News reported.
The ministry also said 1,626 people were arrested while attempting to enter Saudi Arabia illegally. Among them, 62% were Ethiopian nationals, 37% were Yemeni nationals, and 1% were from other countries.
Authorities further detained 33 people attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally. Another 18 individuals were arrested on charges of transporting, sheltering, employing or otherwise assisting violators of residency, labour and border security laws.
According to the Interior Ministry, legal proceedings are currently underway against 30,546 violators, including 28,557 men and 1,989 women.
The ministry added that 17,747 people have been referred to the relevant authorities to obtain travel documents, while 6,113 have been referred to complete travel arrangements for their return to their home countries. So far, 13,251 individuals have already been repatriated, the ministry said.
