Arab News, Sunday, Dec 05, 2021 | Rabi Al-Aakhir 30, 1443
14,000 residency, labor, border violators arrested in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi authorities arrested more than 14,000 people in one week for breaching
residency, work, and border security regulations, an official report has
revealed.
During the period of Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, a total of
7,413 arrests were made for violations of residency rules, while 5,398 people
were held over illegal border crossing attempts and a further 1,708 on
labor-related issues.
The report’s findings showed that among the 381
arrested while trying to cross the border into the Kingdom, 40 percent were
Yemeni citizens, 57 percent Ethiopians, and 3 percent other nationalities.
A further 17 people were caught trying to cross
into neighboring countries, and seven were held for involvement in transporting
and harboring violators.
The Ministry of Interior stated that anyone found
to be helping people gain illegal entry to the Kingdom and transporting or
providing shelter for them 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.