Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Joint field campaigns to monitor and apprehend violators of residency, labor, and border security laws across Saudi Arabia have resulted in the arrest of 21,651 individuals between Oct. 23 and Oct. 29, 2025, the Ministry of Interior announced.

The arrests included 12,745 violators of residency regulations, 4,577 violators of border security laws, and 4,329 violators of labor laws.

Among those caught attempting to cross into the Kingdom illegally, 1,689 individuals were apprehended — 46% of them Yemeni, 53% Ethiopian, and 1% from other nationalities.

Authorities also detained 59 people attempting to exit Saudi Arabia illegally and 21 individuals involved in transporting, harboring, or employing violators, as well as those aiding or concealing them.

A total of 31,826 violators are currently undergoing legal procedures — 30,151 men and 1,675 women. Of these, 21,980 have been referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, 5,010 are completing travel arrangements, and 13,279 have been deported.

The ministry reiterated that anyone who facilitates the entry of individuals violating border security laws into the Kingdom, transports them within the country, provides shelter, or offers any form of assistance faces penalties of up to 15 years in prison, fines of up to SR1 million, and confiscation of vehicles and properties used in the offenses, in addition to public naming and shaming.

It stressed that such offenses are considered major crimes warranting detention and are deemed acts of dishonesty and moral misconduct. The ministry urged the public to report violations through the hotlines 911 (Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and Eastern Province) and 999 or 996 in other regions.