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The Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of 14782 individuals during the period of September 10 to 16 as security forces carried out coordinated inspections with other government agencies across Saudi Arabia. These operations focused on breaches of residency labor and border security regulations resulting in the deportation of 12635 violators according to the ministry. The scale of activity reflects the authorities’ continued emphasis on enforcement in this area.
Ministry figures detail that the arrests included 7438 violators of residency laws 3782 violators of border security laws and 3562 violators of labor laws during the week. Authorities also intercepted 1450 people attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally with 43 percent Yemeni nationals 56 percent Ethiopian nationals and 1 percent from other countries. Another 25 individuals were detained while seeking to exit unlawfully the ministry reported.
The operation led to the arrest of 23 people accused of transporting sheltering or employing violators the ministry said. Similar enforcement actions have produced deportation totals ranging from 10000 to 14000 in multiple preceding weeks according to repeated ministry statements covered by Gulf News. Penalties for facilitation can include up to 15 years imprisonment and fines as high as one million Saudi riyals.
At present 31075 expatriates including 29171 men and 1904 women remain in legal proceedings the ministry data shows. Of this total 18986 have been referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents while 3834 are completing arrangements for departure. The gender and volume statistics align with the large expatriate population subject to these regular campaigns.
The ministry has issued such weekly updates consistently throughout 2026 documenting sustained activity against illegal residency and related offenses. In one comparable period authorities arrested nearly 15000 individuals and deported more than 13000 the ministry previously reported. These figures demonstrate the structured approach to border management and labor regulation.
Further coordination among security and regulatory bodies has allowed the campaigns to maintain high levels of inspections and removals over consecutive months. The ministry continues to track and publicize outcomes from these joint efforts on a regular basis. Such transparency forms part of the established process for addressing violations.
