Saudi Arabia arrests 17,305 illegals in one week

Saudi authorities arrested 17,305 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

According to an official report, a total of 10,804 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 3,890 were held over illegal border crossing attempts and a further 2,611 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 626 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 57 percent were Yemeni, 40 percent Ethiopian, and 3 percent were of other nationalities.

A further 24 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and nine were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.

So far, the authorities transferred 44,012 offenders to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 1,883 were transferred to complete their travel reservations and 7,845 were deported.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), or confiscation of vehicles and property.

Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.