Saudi Arabia deports 7,989 foreign nationals in June residency sweep

Inside the June residency sweep

Saudi Arabia deported 7,989 foreign nationals between June 4 and June 10, the Ministry of Interior reported, after joint field campaigns produced 10,725 arrests in a single week.

The arrest tally breaks down to 5,899 residency violators, 3,084 border violators and 1,742 labor law violators. Another 14,268 people were referred to their embassies to obtain travel documents and 1,240 were waiting on flight bookings to leave. Border officers also caught 1,418 people attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally, 55% of them Ethiopian nationals and 43% Yemeni.

The ministry described the operation as part of an ongoing national campaign, not a one-week push. More than 22,000 expatriates are currently in legal proceedings for residency, labor or border-related violations.

Who carries the risk

The campaign hits undocumented workers hardest, but the rules apply to anyone whose paperwork doesn't match their activity. Expats working for an employer other than their official sponsor or in a job category outside their iqama classification, fall under the labor violation bucket. So do residents whose iqama, exit-re-entry visa or work permit has lapsed.

Remote workers are in a grey zone. Saudi Arabia has no digital nomad visa, so foreigners working online for foreign clients while on visit visas or dependent iqamas can be treated as working without authorization.

Facilitators face the steepest penalties. Anyone who transports, shelters or employs a person with irregular status risks up to 15 years in prison and fines up to 1 million Saudi riyals (about $266,000), with vehicles and properties subject to confiscation, the ministry said.

Steps to stay compliant

Residents should confirm their iqama, work permit and sponsor records through Absher before traveling or changing jobs. Anyone planning to leave the country needs a valid exit-re-entry or final exit visa and unresolved labor or contractual disputes can block departure.

Visit visa holders should track their permitted stay and avoid any paid local activity. Employers and landlords renting to expats should verify residency status on file, since hiring or housing violators triggers the same penalty range as smuggling.

Read our full Saudi Arabia guide for the complete picture.