Riyadh Saudi Arabia, First Published Nov 21, 2021, 12:09 PM IST
Riyadh: A total of 13,906 people have been arrested in a week in Saudi Arabia in a crackdown on illegal immigrants violating labor, accommodation and border security laws. From November 11 to 17, a joint raid by security forces and the Directorate General of Passports (Javasat) led to the arrests of people of different nationalities.
Of those arrested, 6,597 were residence law offenders, 5,775 were border offenders and more than 1,534 were labor offenders. Of the total 356 people arrested while trying to cross the border illegally, 54 percent were Yemeni nationals, 44 percent were Ethiopians and two percent were from other countries. Security forces arrested 34 people for trying to cross the border and 14 others for smuggling and harboring illegal immigrants.
Of the 86,952 convicts currently on trial, 78,650, including men and 8,302 women, have referred cases of 73,939 offenders to their embassies for further action. The Interior Ministry has warned that anyone found violating border security rules or being allowed to enter the country or being provided with transportation, shelter or any other assistance or service could face up to 15 years in prison. It also warned that fines of up to one million riyals, confiscation of vehicles and shelter would be made against them, and that their names would be revealed in the local media.
Last Updated Nov 21, 2021, 12:09 PM IST
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