RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 16,790 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
According to an official report, a total of 10,177 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,523 were held over illegal border crossing attempts and a further 2,090 for labor-related issues.
The report showed that among the 709 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 63 percent were Yemeni, 34 percent Ethiopian, and 3 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 86 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 19 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.
So far, the authorities transferred 39,941 offenders to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 1,750 were transferred to complete their travel reservations and 8,745 were deported.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), or confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
