Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH – The joint campaign to pursue and arrest violators of the residency (iqama) and labor regulations has netted 24,000 violators in the past three days, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.

Of those arrested, 15,702 were violators of the residency (iqama) regulation, 3883 were violators of the border security regulation, and 4353 were violators of the labor regulations.

About 42 percent were apprehended in Makkah, 19 percent in Riyadh, 11 percent in Asir, 6 percent in Jazan, and 5 percent in the Eastern provinces.

The number of people arrested while trying to enter the Kingdom illegally across the borders totaled 394.

There are 8,433 violators detained at the Expatriates Administrations and facing measures according to the regulations. Of these, 7491 are men and 942 are women.

A total of 25 Saudis have been detained for being involved in transporting or sheltering expatriate violators.