Authorities in Saudi Arabia detained 18,805 individuals in a single week for violations of residency, labour, and border laws, according to Arab media reports. During the same period, officials deported 12,238 illegal immigrants to their home countries.
Between December 25 and 31, 2025, security forces arrested 11,752 people for breaching residency regulations. Another 4,239 individuals faced detention for attempting illegal border crossings, while 2,814 were held for labour law violations.
Officials also intercepted 1,739 people trying to enter Saudi Arabia unlawfully. Among them, 62 per cent were Ethiopian nationals, 37 per cent were Yemeni, and one per cent came from other countries.
In separate incidents, authorities arrested 46 individuals while they attempted to cross from Saudi Arabia into neighbouring states. Security forces also detained 14 people for facilitating illegal activities. These included arranging transport, providing accommodation, offering employment, or sheltering undocumented migrants.
Saudi law treats the facilitation of illegal immigration as a serious criminal offence. Anyone found assisting undocumented individuals through travel, housing, employment, or shelter faces strict legal penalties.
Officials say these enforcement actions form part of ongoing efforts to regulate the labour market, strengthen border security, and uphold residency laws across the Kingdom.
