Doha: Saudi Arabia, alongside intensified crackdowns on undocumented workers, an additional 13,939 foreign nationals have been apprehended.
Within a week, various units of the security forces from different sectors of the state carried out a coordinated campaign, targeting residency violations, labor law violations, and breaches of border security regulations, resulting in the arrest of these 13,939 individuals.
According to the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, they were apprehended in a joint field campaign conducted by different units of the security forces across the state from July 27 to August 5.
Among those detained, 7,894 violated residency regulations, 3,839 breached border security regulations, and 2,206 violated labor laws.
During the operation to cross the border, 933 individuals were arrested while attempting illegal entry. Of them, 41% were Yemeni, 58% were Ethiopian, and 1% were from other countries. Additionally, 44 violators were apprehended while attempting to cross the border from Saudi Arabia, the restive Arabian Gulf region.
The Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia has cited that these individuals who breach the law will be fined and sheltered. It further stated that all of them will be subject to legal procedures and deported after serving sentences of up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of 10 million Saudi riyals.
In recent times, Saudi Arabia has intensified its crackdown on undocumented workers, particularly focusing on those who have overstayed their visas. Among them, numerous Nepali individuals have also been arrested in the ongoing intensified campaign. Currently, they have been placed in jail, and after completing their jail terms, they will undergo necessary legal procedures and be deported.”