Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Joint Field Campaigns in Saudi Arabia led to the arrest of 14,955 violators, as part of a concerted effort to enforce residency, work, and border security regulations across the Kingdom.

The operations, conducted from Feb. 22, 2024, to Feb. 28, 2024, targeted those not complying with the country’s stringent laws.

In these nationwide security campaigns, authorities apprehended 9,080 individuals for violating residency regulations, 3,088 for breaching border security, and 2,787 for infringing labor laws.

Additionally, 849 people were caught attempting to illicitly cross into the Kingdom, with the majority being of Yemeni and Ethiopian nationalities, while 99 individuals were detained for trying to exit the country unlawfully.

The campaign also saw the detention of six individuals implicated in the transportation, sheltering, and employment of violators, alongside providing them cover.

As of now, 57,787 violators are undergoing legal proceedings, with the majority being men.

Efforts have been made to repatriate the violators, with 51,401 being referred to their respective diplomatic missions for travel documents, 1,763 for finalizing their travel bookings, and 10,256 have been deported.

The Ministry of Interior emphasized the severe consequences for those aiding violators, including up to 15 years in prison, fines reaching one million riyals, confiscation of used transport and housing, and public defamation.

This crime is categorized as a major offense, compromising one’s honor and trustworthiness. The Ministry urged the public to report any such violations through designated hotlines across various regions of the Kingdom.