Cairo: A total of 16,860 illegal expatriates have been rounded up in nationwide campaigns in one week in Saudi Arabia as part of a relentless crackdown on foreign violators of the kingdom’s residency, labour and border security laws, the Interior Ministry has said.

The arrests, made over the period of February 9-15, included 9,713 violators of the kingdom’s residency system, 4,029 violators of the border security rules and 3,118 others who breached the labour regulations.

A total of 20,934 illegals, including 2,345 women, are currently being subjected to deportation measures, the ministry said.

Some 12,087 others have been transferred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents ahead of deportation while 12,728 other illegals have been deported from the kingdom.

Authorities also arrested during the same period 15 people involved in transporting, sheltering and employing violators of residency, border and work regulations, it said.

In recent months, Saudi police announced arresting several people suspected of involvement in offering aid to border infiltrators and violators of the kingdom’s rules.

The Saudi Interior Ministry has repeatedly warned that those who facilitate the entry of infiltrators into the kingdom or provide them with transportation, shelter or any sort of assistance face penalties of a maximum of 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to SR1 million, as well as confiscation of the transport and the accommodation means, in addition to naming to shame them.

Saudi Arabia, a country of around 34.8 million people, hosts a large community of migrant workers.

The ministry has reported arresting tens of thousands of illegal expatriates in recent months.