RIYADH: A national campaign from June 4 to June 10 is carried out against residency, labor, and border security violation, where more than 14,000 additional migrants have been referred back to their respective embassies following the crackdown on illegal immigration by the Saudi government.
Crackdown against illegal residents in Saudi Arabia was one of the biggest for the country’s security agencies over the past few weeks. A total number of 10,725 undocumented immigrants were detained by security officials in Saudi Arabia from June 4th to June 10th. At least 8,000 people have been deported by the government during the week.
Behind Saudi Arabia’s crack-down on its illegal residents the violations classification
A total of 10,725 violations recorded during this Saudi Arabia crack-down on illegal residents can be classified into three major types. Most violations were due to residency laws violations, involving 5,899 people, border security law violations, which involved 3,084 people, and finally labor laws violations, which were committed by 1,742 people. This distribution reveals that the residency status was the main reason behind the above numbers.
Crossing the borders who is caught and from what country
Besides the numbers of arrests in the news, the Saudi Arabian crackdown on illegal residents also involved those trying to illegally cross the borders. The number of individuals arrested trying to enter the kingdom illegally was 1,418. As far as the nationality of these people, two countries stand out above the rest. The Ethiopians constituted 55%, the Yemenis comprised 43%, and the other nationalities 2%.
Illegal departures were also carried out by
The crackdown on the illegal immigrants involved the illegal departures as well. 34 people were arrested during the same week for attempting to illegally depart from the Kingdom – a smaller figure than those who illegally entered the country; however, according to the Ministry of Interior, this is a measure within its fight against the human smugglers who operate both ways.
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What becomes of those who have been apprehended
The total number of individuals who have been arrested during the anti-illegal residents campaign in Saudi Arabia is around 10,725 people, out of which almost 8,000 people have been deported already. In addition to this, 14,268 other individuals who were previously arrested in other similar enforcement operations have been handed over to their respective embassies in order to obtain proper documentation to ensure their deportation.
Deportation Process for Arrested Individuals
The 10,725 arrestees made under the Saudi Arabia illegal residents campaign will see almost 8,000 of them deported. Another 14,268 persons, who were previously detained, will be sent back to their embassies to arrange their travel papers in order to return to their country. The referral number is much higher compared to the number of arrested individuals in the week and this highlights the huge amount of undocumented aliens that the Kingdom still needs to deal with.
The inspection drives carried out by Saudi Arabia on its borders take place on a consistent basis and are part of a larger approach towards regulating the labor market as well as enhancing security at its borders. According to the Ministry of Interior, any person who helps illegal immigrants enter the country, transports them, provides them a place to stay in Saudi Arabia, or offers employment to the illegal immigrants is liable for serious penalties ranging from imprisonment, hefty fines, or having his property confiscated.
Nayab Fatima is a university graduate and an emerging media professional with a strong passion for journalism, research, and independent reporting. She specializes in developing well-researched, fact-based, and analytical news stories covering a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in technology, telecommunications, aviation, and the automobile industry.
