Saudi authorities have deported 10,000 expats over the past week as part of a nationwide crackdown on residency, labor, and border violations.
According to the Ministry of Interior, in joint field operations conducted across the kingdom, authorities apprehended more than 21,000 violators, including nearly 14,000 for residency infractions, 4,600 for border security violations, and more than 3,000 for labour law breaches.
The ministry reported that an additional 27,000 individuals were referred to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 2,300 others were in the process of finalising travel arrangements for deportation, Gulf News reported.
During the operations, security forces detained 1,477 individuals attempting to cross into Saudi Arabia illegally.
Of these, 41 percent were Yemeni nationals, 55 percent were Ethiopians, and 4 percent were from other nationalities.
Another 90 people were arrested while attempting to exit the country unlawfully.
Authorities also apprehended 18 individuals accused of harbouring, transporting, or employing undocumented expats, warning that those found guilty of facilitating illegal residency face severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, fines of up to 1 million Saudi riyals, and confiscation of vehicles or properties used to aid violators.
bd-pratidin/GR
