RIYADH, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia has arrested 671,272 foreign workers in the past four months in a major crackdown on illegal laborers, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Among the detained, 469,836 were charged with violating the residency rules, 142,016 violating the labor regulations and 59,520 violating the border security system, the report said.
Saudi authorities said among the infiltrators, 65 percent are from Yemen, 32 percent from Ethiopia, and 3 percent from other nations.
The police have also arrested 529 individuals for attempting to illegally leave the country without stating their nationalities.
Meanwhile, 1,300 people, including 198 Saudis, were arrested for sheltering or assisting illegal workers, the report said.
The kingdom has also deported 1,618,866 individuals for different reasons in the same period.
The nationwide campaign will continue with an aim to maintain the economic growth by regulating the labor market and prevent serious crimes that could be carried out by those illegal workers, the report said.
