Saudi Arabia Records 14,242 Residency, Labor and Border Violations in One Week

Riyadh,/International Desk): Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has reported a major crackdown on violations of residency, labor, and border security regulations, resulting in the arrest of thousands of individuals.
During joint inspection campaigns conducted across the Kingdom from March 26 to April 1, 2026, a total of 14,242 violators were apprehended. This includes 7,884 cases related to residency law violations, 3,948 for border security breaches, and 2,410 for labor law infractions.
Authorities arrested 1,449 individuals attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally. Among them, 71 percent were Ethiopian, 27 percent Yemeni, and 2 percent from other nationalities. Additionally, 29 people were caught trying to cross the border into neighboring countries from Saudi Arabia, while 25 individuals were detained for involvement in facilitating travel, accommodation, employment, or shelter for illegal migrants.
Currently, 36,365 expatriates — including 32,309 men and 4,056 women — are undergoing legal procedures. Of these, 6,808 have been instructed to contact their embassies or consulates for travel documents, 3,416 to arrange their travel, and 6,285 have already been deported to their countries of origin.
The campaign reflects Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to enforce immigration and labor laws strictly and maintain border security.