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The Ministry of Interior reported that the one-week operation resulted in the arrest of 11967 individuals for violations of residency labour and border-security regulations. Official figures from the ministry broke down those arrested as 7650 residency-law violators 2952 individuals who breached border-security laws and 1365 labour-law violators. Authorities referred 23238 people to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents while sending 3416 others to complete arrangements prior to deportation.
According to the ministry the campaign also targeted individuals accused of facilitating unlawful residence by transporting sheltering or employing violators. The ministry stated that such acts constitute serious offences punishable by imprisonment of up to 15 years fines of up to SAR 1 million and confiscation of vehicles or property used in the violations. Enforcement actions focused on joint inspection campaigns conducted across the Kingdom to uphold existing regulations.
The Ministry of Interior released the figures on March 28 detailing how the inspections between March 19 and 25 had produced the series of arrests and subsequent referrals. Those deported during the period totalled 5111 following the processing of cases under the three main categories of violations. The operations formed part of routine efforts to maintain compliance with residency and labour requirements.
Data from the Global Detention Project placed Saudi Arabia’s deportations at 109400 individuals in 2023 alone reflecting the sustained scale of such enforcement activities in recent years. Comparable week-long campaigns have continued in 2026 with one operation in June leading to nearly 8000 deportations according to reports that cited interior ministry statistics. These recurring drives address a large expatriate population subject to strict regulatory oversight.
The interior ministry has consistently warned that penalties for assisting violators include the maximum terms of imprisonment and financial sanctions along with asset seizures. Such measures apply uniformly to those found transporting harbouring or providing services to individuals without legal residency or work authorisation. Authorities emphasised the need for full adherence to the laws governing entry employment and stay in the Kingdom.
