18,000 violators of residency, labor and border security regulations were apprehended in Saudi Arabia

The security services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continued their intensive efforts to pursue and apprehend violators of regulations. The joint field campaigns that were launched in various regions of the Kingdom during the period from January 15 to 21, 2026, resulted in the apprehension of thousands of violators, reflecting the continuous security vigilance to enforce order and enhance community security.

Details of security campaigns and recorded figures

The Ministry of Interior announced the results of its field campaigns this week, which resulted in the apprehension of 18,200 individuals violating residency, labor, and border security regulations. The official statistics show the breakdown of these apprehensions as follows:

• Violators of the residency system: They topped the list with (11442) violators.
• Violators of the border security system: Their number reached (3931) violators.
• Violators of the labor system: (2827) violators were apprehended.

In a related development concerning border infiltration attempts, security forces apprehended 1,762 individuals attempting to cross into the Kingdom. Yemeni nationals comprised 46% of those apprehended, followed by Ethiopian nationals at 53%, with the remaining 1% belonging to other nationalities. Additionally, 46 individuals were arrested for attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally, and 11 individuals were apprehended for their involvement in the transportation, harboring, and employment of illegal immigrants.

The importance of security campaigns and their strategic dimensions

These intensified campaigns are part of a comprehensive strategy adopted by the Kingdom to enhance internal security and regulate the labor market. These efforts are of paramount importance for several reasons:

First, the security dimension: Controlling those who violate border security and residency regulations contributes to reducing crime rates and enhancing stability, as irregular presence is often associated with negative phenomena that affect the safety of society.

Secondly, the economic dimension: Through Vision 2030, the Kingdom seeks to regulate the labor market and eliminate commercial concealment and loose labor, thus opening the way for national cadres and protecting the economy from the negative effects of the hidden economy.

Deportation procedures and deterrent penalties

The relevant authorities clarified that the total number of individuals currently undergoing procedures for implementing the regulations is (25,477) undocumented migrants, including (23,443) men and (2,034) women. The following legal measures have been taken:

• (18685) violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents.
• (3011) violators were referred to complete their travel arrangements.
• (14451) actual violators were deported from the country.

Stern warnings from the Ministry of Interior

The Ministry of Interior reiterated its strong warnings to anyone contemplating assisting violators, emphasizing that penalties will be severe. The Ministry indicated that anyone who facilitates the entry of violators of the Kingdom's border security regulations, transports them, or provides them with shelter, is subject to imprisonment for up to 15 years, a fine of up to one million riyals, confiscation of the vehicle and accommodation used for sheltering them, and public shaming. These acts are considered major crimes warranting arrest and are a breach of honor and integrity.

The ministry called on everyone to cooperate and report any violations by calling (911) in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and the numbers (999) and (996) in the rest of the regions of the Kingdom.