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Saudi authorities arrest over 16,000 illegal workers

07 November 2013 13:37 (UTC +04:00)

Saudi authorities had given foreign workers a seven-month grace period to get their visas in order before Sunday’s clampdown.

Saudi authorities announced they had arrested 16,487 illegal workers across seven provinces over a two day period. The largest number of arrests was recorded in Jizan Province, with 7,000 illegal workers arrested over the past two days. 3,000 illegal Yemeni workers were reportedly deported over a 24-hour period, according to informed sources.

In Mecca Province, 5,000 illegal workers were arrested, 1,187 were recorded arrested in Najran Province and 818 in Riyadh.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki had announced the end of the grace period for illegal workers on Sunday. He announced the enactment of a security plan to arrest and deport illegal workers across the Kingdom.