Expat Desk //

A total of 12,628 expatriates were repatriated from Saudi Arabia in a single week for violating residency, labor, and border security laws. During the same period, security forces detained 13,628 individuals for similar violations, according to a report by *Gulf News*.

On September 26, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that these individuals were detained during nationwide operations conducted between September 17 and 23. The detainees included 6,593 people for residency law violations, 3,531 for border security violations, and 3,504 for labor law violations. Additionally, 1,197 individuals were detained while attempting to enter Saudi Arabia illegally; among them, 63 percent were Ethiopian nationals and 36 percent were Yemeni, with the remaining 1 percent hailing from other countries.

Separately, Saudi authorities reported the detention of 27 individuals attempting to leave the country illegally. Another 22 people were detained for transporting, sheltering, or employing the law violators.

Currently, 31,398 expatriates accused of legal violations in Saudi Arabia are undergoing various legal procedures; this group comprises 29,018 men and 2,380 women.

The Ministry of Interior further stated that 18,549 individuals have been referred to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain necessary travel documents, while 3,815 others have been processed to finalize arrangements for leaving the Kingdom. Of these, 12,628 individuals have already been repatriated.

Read the news and share your views.