RIYADH — The Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday the arrest of 22,021 illegal residents during inspection raids across Saudi Arabia during last week. The arrests were made during the joint field security campaigns carried out by security forces and the concerned government agencies during the period between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4. Those who were arrested included 14,508 violators of the Residency Law, 4,511 violators of the Border Security Law, and 3,002 violators of the Labor Law. The total number of people who were arrested while trying to cross the border into the Kingdom stood at 998, of whom 39 percent were Yemeni nationals, 60 percent Ethiopian nationals, and one percent belonged to other nationalities while 41 people were arrested while attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally. Eleven people, who were involved in transporting, sheltering, and employing violators, were also arrested. A total of 15,108 expatriates, including 13,996 men and 1,112 women, are currently undergoing various phases of legal procedures as part of punitive measures against them. A total of 5,917violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents while 2,249 violators were referred to complete their travel reservations whereas 11,242 violators were deported. The Ministry of Interior has warned that any person who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into the Kingdom, transports them on its territory, provides them with shelter or any other assistance or service may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million, and that the vehicles used for transportation or houses used for giving shelter will be confiscated. The ministry urged the public to report any cases of violation by calling the number 911 in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province and the numbers 999 and 996 in the rest of the Kingdom's regions
