Mass Crackdown in Saudi Arabia: Over 21,000 Migrants Arrested

Darwin, 09 November-

Saudi authorities have arrested more than 21,000 expatriates in a week-long nationwide crackdown targeting violations of residency, labor, and border security laws, according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, reported Gulf News on Sunday.

Between October 30 and November 5, joint teams from various security forces and government agencies conducted large-scale operations across the country, detaining 21,647 foreign nationals.

The ministry stated that the detainees include 12,838 for residency law violations, 4,564 for border security violations, and 4,245 for breaching labor laws.

In addition, 1,943 people were arrested while attempting to cross the Saudi border illegally — 45% of them Yemenis, 54% Ethiopians, and 1% from other nationalities. Another 37 individuals were detained for attempting to leave Saudi Arabia through illegal means.

Authorities also arrested 26 residents for transporting or sheltering violators of labor and residency laws. Legal procedures are currently underway for 32,801 detainees, including 31,207 men and 1,594 women.

According to the report, 21,800 detainees have been transferred to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents before repatriation, while 6,012 others are in the final stages of deportation. So far, 12,098 migrants have already been deported from the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia enforces strict penalties for assisting illegal entry into the country — up to 15 years in prison and a fine of 1 million Saudi riyals. The Interior Ministry has repeatedly warned residents against violating or aiding violations of immigration laws.

With a population of about 34.8 million, Saudi Arabia hosts millions of migrant workers from various countries. Local media regularly report on ongoing raids and arrests of undocumented or noncompliant foreign workers as part of the kingdom’s continuous campaign to enforce immigration and labor regulations.

Source: Gulf News