Saudi Arabia detains over 22,000 violators of residency laws

Saudi Arabia’s authorities have detained over 22,000 as part of its combined field security campaigns to find and capture those who violate residence, labor, and border security laws in seven days, according to the Ministry of Interior.

From July 24 to July 30, Saudi Arabia’s coordinated field security campaigns led to the arrest of 22,147 violators across the Kingdom’s regions for breaching residence, labor, and border security regulations, the Ministry of Interiors said.

Of those detained, 3,540 had broken labor laws, 4,772 had broken border security laws, and 13,835 had broken residence rules.

In addition, authorities arrested 34 persons trying to illegally exit the Kingdom and 1,816 people trying to enter Saudi Arabia (36% Yemeni nationals, 62% Ethiopian nationals, and 2% of other nationalities).

Twenty people were also arrested as a result of the operation on charges of harboring, transporting, or hiring offenders and concealing their actions, sheltering, or employing violators and covering up their activities. In order to rectify their infractions, 21,143 offenders are now undergoing treatments, comprising 2,817 women and 18,326 males.

A total of 10,820 people were deported, 13,569 offenders were sent to their diplomatic posts to get travel papers, and 3,566 were sent to complete travel reservations.

Facilitating the admission, transportation, or harboring of border security offenders carries up to 15 years in jail, penalties of up to 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000), the forfeiture of cars and housing used in the act, and public name, the Ministry of Interior said.

The crime is deemed dishonorable and a serious violation that calls for incarceration.

The ministry asked people to report infractions by dialing 999 and 996 in other areas or 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province.

Saudi Arabia detains over 22,000 violators of residency, labuor, border laws