Saudi Arabia arrests over 8,000 illegal residents and deports 7,466 in week‑long crackdown

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior reported that joint operations from May 21‑27 resulted in the arrest of 8,090 individuals for breaching residency, labour and border‑security laws. The crackdown identified 4,266 residency violators, 2,653 border‑security offenders and 1,171 labour‑law breaches. In total, 7,466 illegal residents were deported, while 14,484 violators were sent to their diplomatic missions for travel documents and 572 were instructed to complete travel arrangements. Among those caught attempting illegal entry, 25% were Yemeni nationals and 68% Ethiopian, with the remainder from other countries. Additionally, 71 people were detained while trying to leave the kingdom illegally, and 13 were arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal presence of others. Authorities warned that facilitating illegal entry, employment or sheltering can carry up to 15 years in prison, fines up to SR 1 million and confiscation of assets.