Saudi Arabia arrests 15,245 illegals in one week

RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested 15,245 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, according to an official report.

The report said, from Aug. 10 to 16, a total of 8,539 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,253 were held over illegal border crossing attempts and a further 2,453 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 829 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 53 percent were Yemeni, 44 percent Ethiopian, and 3 percent were of other nationalities.

A further 60 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and three were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.

So far, the authorities transferred 33,579 offenders to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 1,924 were transferred to complete their travel reservations and 9,104 were deported.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), or confiscation of vehicles and property.