14,000 violators of residency and labor laws in Saudi Arabia were apprehended

Ongoing efforts to enhance national security and apprehend violators

As part of the Saudi Arabian government's ongoing efforts to enhance security and stability, joint security field campaigns have yielded decisive results in combating infiltration and violations of regulations. These campaigns aim to track down and apprehend violators of residency, labor, and border security regulations throughout the Kingdom. In just one week, security forces apprehended 14,487 violators, including 3,798 women, demonstrating the vigilance and coordination of the security apparatus.

Details of enforcement and violation statistics

Official reports issued by the relevant authorities indicated that the total number of those apprehended in the joint field campaigns were distributed across several main categories, which included:

• 7911 violators of the residency system.
• 3588 violators of the border security system.
• 2988 violations of the labor law.

Regarding border infiltration attempts, statistics recorded the apprehension of 1,382 individuals attempting to cross into the Kingdom. The nationalities of those apprehended included 38% Yemeni, 61% Ethiopian, and 1% from other nationalities. Conversely, attempts by 43 individuals to cross the border illegally out of the Kingdom were thwarted.

Addressing housing and transportation networks

The campaigns were not limited to the violators themselves, but extended to those involved in facilitating these crimes. Twenty-three individuals were apprehended for transporting, harboring, and employing violators of residency, labor, and border security regulations, as well as for concealing them. This represents a significant blow to the networks profiting from these illegal activities.

Legal procedures and deportation

The relevant authorities are currently processing the enforcement of regulations for 39,258 undocumented migrants, including 35,460 men and 3,798 women. Swift and practical steps have been taken to address these cases, including:

• 21,127 violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents.
• 11,240 violators were referred to complete their travel arrangements.
• 12,554 violators were deported to their countries.

Historical context and strategic importance of security campaigns

These efforts are an extension of the comprehensive national campaign “A Nation Without Violators,” launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia several years ago. This national strategy aims to regulate the Saudi labor market and eliminate the phenomenon of undocumented workers, which negatively impacts the national economy through irregular financial transfers and tax evasion. These campaigns also play a pivotal role in reducing crime rates associated with undocumented residency.

Local and regional impact

At the local level, these campaigns contribute to providing a safe and fair work environment and support localization programs by making job opportunities available to citizens and residents through legitimate channels. At the regional and international levels, the Kingdom's firm stance in protecting its borders sends a strong message to human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks, particularly those operating in the Horn of Africa and along its southern borders, thus enhancing the security of the region as a whole and curbing illegal migration.

Strict penalties and warnings from the Ministry of Interior

The Saudi Ministry of Interior reiterated its strong warnings to anyone contemplating compromising the security of the nation. It emphasized that anyone who facilitates the entry of violators of border security regulations into the Kingdom, transports them within its borders, provides them with shelter, or offers them any assistance or service whatsoever, will be subject to severe and rigorous penalties.

These penalties include imprisonment for up to 15 years, a hefty fine of up to one million Saudi riyals, confiscation of the vehicle and residence used for sheltering the perpetrators, and public shaming of those involved. This crime is classified as a major offense warranting arrest, and is considered a breach of honor and integrity.

The ministry called on all citizens and residents to cooperate positively and report any violations by calling the number (911) in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and the numbers (999) and (996) in the rest of the regions of the Kingdom, stressing that the citizen is the first line of defense.