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The Ministry of Interior reported that joint inspection campaigns carried out with other government agencies between August 27 and September 2 resulted in the arrest of 7121 individuals for breaching residency regulations. An additional 3636 people were detained for violating border security laws while 3408 faced arrest for labour-related offences. These figures come from the latest weekly enforcement round that underscores the scale of ongoing compliance checks across the kingdom.
According to the ministry 12363 people were deported following completion of legal procedures during the period. Another 18937 violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents and 3240 more were directed to finalise travel arrangements. The ministry’s update detailed the outcomes for all those processed in the campaign.
Ministry figures show that authorities apprehended 1315 individuals attempting to enter the kingdom illegally over the week. The group included 58 per cent Ethiopian nationals 41 per cent Yemeni nationals and 1 per cent from other countries. This breakdown highlights patterns in irregular border crossings that the operations seek to address.
The interior ministry stated that 42 people were arrested while trying to leave Saudi Arabia unlawfully. In addition 21 individuals were detained for transporting sheltering or employing immigration violators. Such cases form a key element of the enforcement actions designed to disrupt support networks.
Data published by the General Authority for Statistics places Saudi Arabia’s non-Saudi population at more than 13 million in mid-2025 a level that has grown with economic expansion and requires sustained regulatory oversight. Successive weekly campaigns documented by the ministry throughout 2026 have produced deportation totals frequently surpassing 12000 as similar operations in June July and August demonstrated. The consistency in these efforts reflects coordinated measures across security and labour authorities.
The Ministry of Interior has specified that penalties for facilitating illegal entry transportation employment or accommodation of violators include up to 15 years in prison fines of up to one million Saudi riyals and confiscation of vehicles or property used in the offences. These sanctions are applied under existing regulations that the ministry references in its periodic statements. Officials process cases through established legal channels to maintain order in the expatriate labour market.
