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The Ministry of Interior reported that security authorities arrested 14440 illegal residents from July 30 to August 5. Among them 7090 violated the Residency Law while 3932 breached the Border Security Law and 3418 violated the Labor Law. The ministry added that 10827 of the arrested individuals were deported during the enforcement campaign.
According to the Ministry of Interior an additional 1593 people were detained while attempting to enter the kingdom illegally with 40 percent identified as Yemeni 59 percent as Ethiopian and 1 percent from other nationalities. The ministry also noted the arrest of 32 individuals trying to leave without authorization along with 25 people accused of transporting sheltering or employing the violators. These actions formed part of coordinated operations involving multiple security agencies.
The Ministry of Interior indicated that 18131 violators were referred to their respective diplomatic missions for documentation support. Another 6357 were instructed to finalize travel reservations as authorities processed their cases. In all 32012 expatriates comprising 29995 men and 2017 women remain subject to ongoing legal measures under the crackdown.
The ministry has warned that facilitating illegal entry or providing shelter transport or employment to violators can result in penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines reaching 1 million Saudi riyals. It stated that any vehicle or property involved in such activities may face confiscation. The ministry urged citizens to report suspected violations by dialing 911 in key provinces or 999 and 996 elsewhere.
This operation continues a pattern of regular enforcement drives with official updates from an earlier week in 2026 showing nearly 8000 deportations under similar campaigns. The Mixed Migration Centre has documented that Saudi Arabia conducted large scale deportation initiatives in 2017 targeting undocumented workers to strengthen labor regulations and curb irregular residency. Those earlier efforts affected hundreds of thousands of migrants amid broader efforts to manage the expatriate workforce.
The Ministry of Interior’s latest figures highlight the sustained scale of inspections that process thousands of cases weekly through arrests referrals and removals. Officials have emphasized the need for full legal compliance among both residents and employers nationwide. The nationality breakdown in border arrests also sheds light on prevailing regional migration trends influencing enforcement priorities.
