One-Week Operation Nets 17,863 Illegal Workers and Border Violators in Saudi Arabia
Joint field campaigns arrested 17,863 individuals within a week for violating restrictions regarding residency, work, and border security, according to the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia. Recommend: Pearl of the Saudi Desert
From 26th June to 7th July 2025, the Ministry of Interior operated campaigns throughout the whole Kingdom to catch anyone who violated the rules of residency, labor, and border security. The results of these campaigns were as follows, according to the ministry:
1. Out of a total of 17,863 violations, 10,746 were found to have violated the residence system, 4,362 the border security system, and 2,755 the labor system. These violators were arrested during the combined security field campaigns that took place across the whole kingdom.
2. Among the 1,507 individuals arrested while attempting to enter the kingdom, 33% were citizens of Yemen, 65% of Ethiopia, and 2% of other nationalities. Additionally, authorities detained 99 individuals who attempted to cross the border outside the kingdom without the necessary documentation.
3. The arrest of 26 individuals was a result of their complicity in the transportation, housing, employment, and cover-up of individuals who violated restrictions regarding residency, labor, and border security.
4. There are a total of 13,362 expatriates who have violated the system, with 11,874 males and 1,488 women being subject to the procedures for system implementation. Read: Ceasefire in Gaza and establishment of a Palestinian state are the top priorities of Saudi Arabia
5. 8,051 of the violators were deported, 2,392 were directed to fill out their travel reservations, and 6,839 were asked to visit their diplomatic offices to get travel documents.
According to the Ministry of Interior, there are severe consequences for those who help illegal immigrants enter the kingdom, whether it's by transporting them, providing shelter, or offering any kind of assistance. The penalties include public shaming, a fine of up to one million riyals, confiscation of their means of transportation or housing, and a maximum prison sentence of fifteen years.
According to the ministry, facilitating illegal immigration is a serious offense that can lead to arrest and betrayal of trust. The authorities ask that anyone in the Eastern Province, Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, or Madinah Al-Munawwarah regions call 911 to report, while the rest of the kingdom should dial 999 or 996. See Also: How to use a Saudi Transit visa for performing Umrah
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| One-Week Operation Nets 17,863 Illegal Workers and Border Violators in Saudi Arabia |