Saudi authorities arrested nearly 9,000 illegal residents and deported more than 9,800 violators during a nationwide immigration crackdown conducted over one week, the Ministry of Interior said.
According to Saudi authorities, security forces arrested 8,943 individuals during inspection campaigns carried out from May 14 to 20 in coordination with various government agencies.
Those arrested included 4,638 residency violators, 2,810 border security violators, and 1,495 labor law violators.
Authorities also detained 1,158 individuals attempting to illegally enter the kingdom. Saudi officials said 61% were Ethiopian nationals, 38% were Yemenis, while the remaining one percent came from other nationalities.
Meanwhile, 54 individuals were arrested for allegedly attempting to leave Saudi Arabia unlawfully.
The ministry added that 9,832 violators were deported during the same period, while thousands of others remain under legal processing.
According to authorities, 16,402 violators were referred to diplomatic missions to secure travel documents, while 1,619 others were referred to complete travel arrangements.
Saudi officials also arrested eight individuals accused of transporting, employing, or sheltering undocumented migrants.
Authorities said 23,679 expatriates — including 22,629 men and 1,050 women — are currently undergoing legal procedures related to immigration and labor violations.
The Ministry of Interior warned that assisting undocumented migrants by transporting, sheltering, or facilitating illegal entry could result in prison terms of up to 15 years and fines reaching SR1 million, aside from possible confiscation of vehicles and properties used in the violations.
