The Saudi Arabia Home Ministry said that over 27,000 foreign nationals have been handed over to the respective embassies of their countries, and will be deported.
Saudi Arabia has launched a massive crackdown on immigrants charged with violating its residency, labor and border laws, with Saudi immigration agencies deporting over 10,000 foreign nationals in a week.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Home Ministry, simultaneous operations were conducted nationwide, leading to the arrests of more than 21,000 foreign citizens, out of whom, over 14,000 were found guilty of violating residency rules, 4,600 were charged with border security violations, and another 3,000 were found in violation of the country’s labor laws, Gulf News reported.
The Saudi home ministry said that over 27,000 foreign nationals have been handed over to the respective embassies of their countries, and will be deported, the report said, adding that 1,477 people were caught trying to enter Saudi Arabia illegally, out of which, 41 percent are from Yemen, 55 percent from Ethiopia and the rest from several other countries.
Notably, around 90 people were also held while trying to leave the country “illegally”, the ministry said.
As per the Gulf News report, Saudi agencies have also detained 18 Saudi citizens accused of sheltering or employing illegal foreign nationals. The accused Saudi nationals face severe legal consequences, including 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to 1 million Saudi riyal, along with confiscation of vehicles, and/or property used in breaking the laws.
The home ministry warned Saudi citizens against sheltering illegal immigrants, terming it as an act that breaks public trust, and will be dealt with severely by law enforcement agencies.
The Saudi Arabian government has urged its citizens to pass information about anyone suspected of breaking these laws, by calling special helpline numbers designated for different areas.
The Saudi home ministry further said the action against illegal immigrants is aimed at maintaining law and order and strict action will be taken in these cases.
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