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The Ministry of Interior announced that authorities deported 12635 expatriates found in breach of residency labour and border security regulations during the specified period. Security forces in coordination with other government agencies carried out nationwide inspections that led to the arrests of 14782 individuals. The ministry detailed that this figure comprised 7438 residency law violators along with 3782 border security law violators and 3562 labour law violators.
Ministry figures show an additional 1450 people were arrested while attempting to enter the kingdom illegally during the same week. Of those detained for illegal entry attempts 56 percent were Ethiopian nationals 43 percent were Yemeni nationals and 1 percent were from other nationalities. The ministry further reported that 25 individuals were apprehended for trying to leave the country unlawfully and 23 others were held for transporting sheltering or employing violators.
According to the ministry 31075 expatriates including 29171 men and 1904 women were undergoing legal procedures related to these violations at the time of the announcement. The campaign reflects the continuation of regular joint enforcement operations across all regions of Saudi Arabia. Gulf News reported the details in an article highlighting the scale of the crackdown on residency and labour violations.
The Ministry of Interior has warned that anyone facilitating the illegal entry transportation shelter or employment of such violators faces strict penalties. These penalties can include up to 15 years in prison fines of up to one million Saudi riyals and the confiscation of vehicles or properties involved in the offences. Public reporting of suspected violations is encouraged through toll-free numbers varying by region such as 911 in Makkah and Riyadh or 999 and 996 elsewhere.
Similar enforcement drives have produced comparable results in surrounding weeks with one subsequent campaign from September 17 to 23 resulting in 12628 deportations after 13628 arrests. Saudi Gazette reported that operation broke down into 6593 residency violators 3531 border security violators and 3504 labour law violators. The nationality patterns among those attempting illegal border crossings have shown consistency with high proportions of Ethiopian and Yemeni nationals across multiple campaigns.
Arab News coverage of these periodic updates has noted that the ministry maintains a standing warning on the legal consequences for facilitators in every release. Earlier actions in August 2026 saw nearly 14900 deportations according to separate Gulf News reporting on the prior inspections. These repeated announcements demonstrate the systematic nature of the residency and labour enforcement initiatives throughout the year.
