19,000 violators of residency and border regulations were apprehended in Saudi Arabia

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As part of ongoing efforts to enhance security and regulate the labor market, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced the results of its joint field campaigns, which covered all regions of the Kingdom and resulted in the apprehension of thousands of violators of regulations in just one week. These campaigns are part of a comprehensive security strategy aimed at eliminating the phenomenon of illegal residents and promoting compliance with the country's sovereign laws.

Details of security campaigns and recorded figures

Official data from the campaigns conducted between January 22 and 28 revealed that joint field efforts by various security and government sectors resulted in the apprehension of 19,975 violators across all regions of the Kingdom. These violations were distributed as follows:

Residence System: Violators of the residence system accounted for the largest percentage of those arrested, with their number reaching (12,906) violators.
Border security system: (3,918) violators of the border security system were apprehended.
Labor System: The number of violators of the labor system reached (3,151) violators.

These large numbers reflect the scale of the efforts made by security personnel and relevant authorities to track down violators in their various locations, whether in residential, commercial, or border areas.

Border security: A firm response to infiltration attempts

In a related context, regarding the protection of the Kingdom's borders, reports revealed the thwarting of infiltration attempts by 1,716 individuals who tried to cross the border into the Kingdom illegally. Demographic statistics of the infiltrators showed that 60% were Ethiopian nationals, 39% were Yemeni nationals, and 1% were of other nationalities. Additionally, 48 other individuals were apprehended while attempting to cross the border out of the Kingdom illegally, underscoring the high level of vigilance maintained by the Border Guard forces and supporting sectors.

Strategic context and importance of campaigns

These campaigns are not merely routine procedures, but rather part of a broader context related to the Kingdom's vision for strengthening internal security and regulating the labor market. These efforts aim to:

Protecting the national economy: by combating commercial concealment and loose labor that harms the economy and unfairly competes with citizens and legal residents.
Enhancing social security: The presence of offenders is often linked to higher rates of certain crimes and behavioral violations.
Rule of law: Emphasizing that residency and work in the Kingdom must be subject to the applicable regulations and laws without exception.

Legal procedures and deterrent penalties

Regarding the handling of those apprehended, (23,472) undocumented migrants are currently undergoing procedures for implementing the regulations, including (21,862) men and (1,610) women. The following measures have been taken:

(16,595) violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents.
(1,820) violators were referred to complete their travel bookings.
(14,867) violators were deported to their countries.

(11) people were also arrested for involvement in crimes of transporting, sheltering, employing and covering up for violators, crimes which the Ministry of Interior considers to be major crimes warranting arrest.

Strict warnings and reporting methods

The Ministry of Interior has reiterated its strong warnings to anyone who facilitates the entry of border security violators, transports them, or provides them with shelter. The Ministry emphasized that penalties in this regard can reach:

Imprisonment for up to 15 years.
A financial penalty of up to one million riyals.
Confiscation of the means of transport and the accommodation used for sheltering.
Defaming those who disagree.

The Ministry called on all citizens and residents to cooperate with security authorities and report any violations via the official numbers: (911) in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and (999) and (996) in the rest of the Kingdom’s regions, stressing that the security of the homeland is everyone’s responsibility.