RIYADH — The Saudi Interior Ministry's "A Nation Free of Illegals" campaign has succeeded in arresting a total of 3,408,691 expatriates who were living in the Kingdom in violation of residency or labor regulations. Campaign officials said as many as 846,858 detainees were deported to their respective home countries. The nationwide campaign was launched in November 2017 with the participation of 19 ministries and government departments including the Passport Police and the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. The officials said 2,657,979 expatriates were arrested for violating the system of residency, 525,532 for violating labor regulations and 225,180 for breaching border security. They said 57,206 people attempted to sneak into the Kingdom across its southern borders. About 49 percent of the infiltrators were Ethiopians, 48 percent Yemenis and remaining 3 percent were people of various other nationalities. The campaign officials said 2,495 people were caught while attempting to leave the Kingdom illegally. They said 3,975 people including 1,360 Saudis involved in providing accommodation and transport to illegal residents were arrested. As many as 13,088 expatriates, including 10,965 men and 2,123 women, are being held in various detention centers in the Kingdom, the officials said. They said 441,702 illegal expatriates were referred to their respective embassies and consulates to issue them with travel documents while 562,300 others were completing procedures for final exit.
