Harsh punishments announced for recruiting illegal immigrants in Saudi Arabia

"Riyadh In Saudi Arabia, stern penalties have been imposed on illegal emigrants who have availed themselves of the services of illegal expatriate workers. According to Gulf News, the Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced that those who hire illegal expatriate workers to obtain their services will face severe penalties. A fine of one million riyals will be imposed on businesses found guilty of violating rules and regulations by employing foreign nationals, making their employees available for work in other businesses, or outsourcing their employees to other businesses.

The Ministry has stated that in these penalties, the responsible manager could face imprisonment for up to one year and a ban on recruitment for up to five years. If the manager is a foreign national, they may also face deportation.

The Ministry has urged the public to support the efforts of security officials in reducing violations of residential, labor, and border protection regulations. The public can play a role by refraining from employing, sheltering, transporting, or hiding violators, and reporting such violations is crucial to ensuring compliance with the law.

It has been revealed that during a week-long campaign, a total of 13,308 individuals who violated residency, labor laws, and border protection regulations were arrested in various regions of Saudi Arabia. These arrests are the result of joint field operations by various units of the security forces throughout the country. Additionally, 572 individuals were apprehended while attempting to cross the country's borders illegally. Among them, 62 percent were Yemeni, 37 percent were Ethiopian, and 1 percent belonged to other nationalities. Furthermore, 58 individuals were stopped while attempting to leave Saudi Arabia illegally.

Furthermore, individuals violating residency and labor regulations, as well as those providing transportation and shelter to related individuals, were also arrested. Currently, approximately 36,953 offenders, including 30,660 men and 6,293 women, are in custody for their respective violations against relevant regulations."