African Mistreatment in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has an immense immigrant worker population and the country's economy could not function without these expatriots. However, because of the laws of the Saudi system, many of these foreign workers are better off than slaves. They come to the country to work for someone and must do as they say or be expelled. Often they are forced to live in deplorable conditions and are not paid the amount that they were promised before arival. The cases of abuse of Asian workers inthe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been well documented, but incresingly mistreatment of Africans in the Kingdom is being unearthed. Slavery was outlawed in Saudi Arabis in the last 50 years, but the servitude many foreign workers are kept in because of the color of their skin is little better. The story below documents a specific example of the plight of Africans working in Saudi Arabia.
message you ll receive if you call Habeeb Al-Shami, a Chadian, on his mobile
phone. Try to call any other time and the call would not be answered because
dead people don t answer the phone.
Shami passed away a month ago in Jeddah as he was running from pillar to
post to get a reentry visa to go see his dead brother and attend the funeral
inChad
But, like the rest of the Chadian community in the Kingdom, he had been
denied the visa.
On the advice of his friends, he then wrote a letter to the Emir of Makkah
region asking for help. The Emir responded positively and gave him the
permission to go and see his dead brother.
But then, death struck again and, before going home, Shami died.
Shami was among the 17 Chadian community representatives inSaudi Arabia
had sent a petition to the Saudi Human Rights Association about the plight
of the community.
The Saudi Gazette received a copy of the complaint written in Arabic and in
two A4-sized pages.
The community leaders insist it is not a complaint against the government.
Its only a statement to the government itself to revaluate its stand and
look at our situation either deport us or renew our Iqamas, said Ali Haggar
Sinousi, one of the 17 signatories of the petition.
The statement as the leaders call the petition was headed by a Qudsi Hadith
that says: I (Allah) forbade myself to do injustice and it is forbidden for
my servant to do injustice
The petition was about a Ministry of Interior directive that wasn t
preceded by any warning that stops the Passports and Immigration Department
from renewing any Chadian Iqama or transferring any Chadian s sponsorship. A
Passports official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed receipt
of such an order.
According to the statement, the directive also stops Chadians from getting a
re-entry visa.
Dr. Hussein Al-Sharief who heads the rights association branch in Jeddah
confirmed receipt of the petition.
He said they have sent an inquiry letter to the interior ministry to
double-check the allegations and to obtain a copy of the said directive in
order to examine whether it is in line with international norms. He said
they are waiting for an answer from the ministry.
This directive, Sinousi said, has affected the legal Chadian workers in the
Kingdom as their children are stopped from attending school and their bank
accounts are closed until they correct their legal position get their
expired Iqamas renewed.
Referring to the arrests of thousands of Chadian nationals during the
Ministry of Interior s recent crackdown on crime in different cities,
Sinousi said the Chadian community in the Makkah region considers the action
as punishment for the entire community just for the crimes of some of its
individuals.
In the statement, the community leaders said the decree, by being limited
only to Chadians, makes them feel humiliated.
Sinousi works for Hijaz Cargo Company in Jeddah as a senior official. He
said Sunday that his Iqama would expire within 10 days. He hoped that the
decree would be revised by then.
The Chadian Consul General in Jeddah, Abdelkerim Koiboro, said that they
have nothing to do with the statement and that it s mainly a public action
that wasn t motivated by any diplomatic stimulation.
They came to the consulate inquiring about the reasons behind that decree
that stops them from renewing their Iqamas but we have no answer for them.
He said that a delegation led by the Chadian minister of security had
arranged a visit to the Kingdom in order to discuss the issue with the Saudi
officials but that they were told by the Saudi Foreign Ministry that the
authorized officials were busy at the determined time and that they would
inform them about the right time.
The visit proposal was preceded by an unofficial inquiry letter sent to the
Saudi Ministry of Interior by a Chadian resident asking about their destiny
as they can t visit their families back home even in cases of death and
sickness. They received no answer.
That letter wasn't an official one nor was it sent through the consulate or
the embassy, Koiboro said, We have our own diplomatic channels, but we hope
that they answer them back soon.
Koiboro and Sinousi declined to comment on the increasing number of Chadians
who were arrested during the recent raids against illegal residents
violateing the residency and immigration regulations.
However, Sinousi said each individual is responsible for his deeds.
We ve expressed our readiness to cooperate with the Saudi government to
hand over those who commit crimes and hide among us but this group
punishment shouldn t last long, he said.
He remarked about coverage of the security raids by some Arabic newspapers
that exaggerate and dub any African criminal a Chadian, which damages the
image of Chadians in Saudi society.
This when the majority of Chadian expatriates are good citizens who were
born and bred in the Kingdom, Sinousi said, and know neither the Chadian
language nor the color of the Chadian flag.
We don t care even if those who commited violations or did criminal work
are executed, he said. We care about the legal workers who have never done
any wrong in the community.
Addressing social crimes should not reach the level of a political act, he
said. Crimes happen in every society and are committed by different
nationalities not only Chadians.
He believes that whatever the reasons behind that decision, the Chadi
embassy should have been officially informed and they, as citizens, should
also have be informed through their embassy or the Passport office instead
of being shut out and getting no answer.
Korboro and Sinousi did not blame the Saudi government for whatever action
they are taking as they realize that the flood of overstayers can hardly be
controlled with the increasing numbers of foreign Haj and Umrah pilgrims.
They are unable to estimate the number of Chadian overstayers in the Kingdom
but they put the number of legal Chadian residents at more than 100,000
distributed mainly among Jeddah, Makkah and Madina. Most Chadians, Sinousi
said, work in private companies as clerks and computer programmers. Yet, the
majority holds low level-jobs as they lack proper education.
Unlike most other nationalities, Chadian families are larger, sometimes up
to 20 or 30 members a family.
A man who doesn t have at least two wives is not a complete man, Sinousi
said.
May, 9, 2005, RABI-UL-THANI 1, 1426
Issue No. 10149 ISSN (1320-0326)
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
By SABRIA S. JAWHAR
message you ll receive if you call Habeeb Al-Shami, a Chadian, on his mobile
phone. Try to call any other time and the call would not be answered because
dead people don t answer the phone.
Shami passed away a month ago in Jeddah as he was running from pillar to
post to get a reentry visa to go see his dead brother and attend the funeral
in
But, like the rest of the Chadian community in the Kingdom, he had been
denied the visa.
On the advice of his friends, he then wrote a letter to the Emir of Makkah
region asking for help. The Emir responded positively and gave him the
permission to go and see his dead brother.
But then, death struck again and, before going home, Shami died.
Shami was among the 17 Chadian community representatives in
had sent a petition to the Saudi Human Rights Association about the plight
of the community.
The Saudi Gazette received a copy of the complaint written in Arabic and in
two A4-sized pages.
The community leaders insist it is not a complaint against the government.
Its only a statement to the government itself to revaluate its stand and
look at our situation either deport us or renew our Iqamas, said Ali Haggar
Sinousi, one of the 17 signatories of the petition.
The statement as the leaders call the petition was headed by a Qudsi Hadith
that says: I (Allah) forbade myself to do injustice and it is forbidden for
my servant to do injustice
The petition was about a Ministry of Interior directive that wasn t
preceded by any warning that stops the Passports and Immigration Department
from renewing any Chadian Iqama or transferring any Chadian s sponsorship. A
Passports official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed receipt
of such an order.
According to the statement, the directive also stops Chadians from getting a
re-entry visa.
Dr. Hussein Al-Sharief who heads the rights association branch in Jeddah
confirmed receipt of the petition.
He said they have sent an inquiry letter to the interior ministry to
double-check the allegations and to obtain a copy of the said directive in
order to examine whether it is in line with international norms. He said
they are waiting for an answer from the ministry.
This directive, Sinousi said, has affected the legal Chadian workers in the
Kingdom as their children are stopped from attending school and their bank
accounts are closed until they correct their legal position get their
expired Iqamas renewed.
Referring to the arrests of thousands of Chadian nationals during the
Ministry of Interior s recent crackdown on crime in different cities,
Sinousi said the Chadian community in the Makkah region considers the action
as punishment for the entire community just for the crimes of some of its
individuals.
In the statement, the community leaders said the decree, by being limited
only to Chadians, makes them feel humiliated.
Sinousi works for Hijaz Cargo Company in Jeddah as a senior official. He
said Sunday that his Iqama would expire within 10 days. He hoped that the
decree would be revised by then.
The Chadian Consul General in Jeddah, Abdelkerim Koiboro, said that they
have nothing to do with the statement and that it s mainly a public action
that wasn t motivated by any diplomatic stimulation.
They came to the consulate inquiring about the reasons behind that decree
that stops them from renewing their Iqamas but we have no answer for them.
He said that a delegation led by the Chadian minister of security had
arranged a visit to the Kingdom in order to discuss the issue with the Saudi
officials but that they were told by the Saudi Foreign Ministry that the
authorized officials were busy at the determined time and that they would
inform them about the right time.
The visit proposal was preceded by an unofficial inquiry letter sent to the
Saudi Ministry of Interior by a Chadian resident asking about their destiny
as they can t visit their families back home even in cases of death and
sickness. They received no answer.
That letter wasn't an official one nor was it sent through the consulate or
the embassy, Koiboro said, We have our own diplomatic channels, but we hope
that they answer them back soon.
Koiboro and Sinousi declined to comment on the increasing number of Chadians
who were arrested during the recent raids against illegal residents
violateing the residency and immigration regulations.
However, Sinousi said each individual is responsible for his deeds.
We ve expressed our readiness to cooperate with the Saudi government to
hand over those who commit crimes and hide among us but this group
punishment shouldn t last long, he said.
He remarked about coverage of the security raids by some Arabic newspapers
that exaggerate and dub any African criminal a Chadian, which damages the
image of Chadians in Saudi society.
This when the majority of Chadian expatriates are good citizens who were
born and bred in the Kingdom, Sinousi said, and know neither the Chadian
language nor the color of the Chadian flag.
We don t care even if those who commited violations or did criminal work
are executed, he said. We care about the legal workers who have never done
any wrong in the community.
Addressing social crimes should not reach the level of a political act, he
said. Crimes happen in every society and are committed by different
nationalities not only Chadians.
He believes that whatever the reasons behind that decision, the Chadi
embassy should have been officially informed and they, as citizens, should
also have be informed through their embassy or the Passport office instead
of being shut out and getting no answer.
Korboro and Sinousi did not blame the Saudi government for whatever action
they are taking as they realize that the flood of overstayers can hardly be
controlled with the increasing numbers of foreign Haj and Umrah pilgrims.
They are unable to estimate the number of Chadian overstayers in the Kingdom
but they put the number of legal Chadian residents at more than 100,000
distributed mainly among Jeddah, Makkah and Madina. Most Chadians, Sinousi
said, work in private companies as clerks and computer programmers. Yet, the
majority holds low level-jobs as they lack proper education.
Unlike most other nationalities, Chadian families are larger, sometimes up
to 20 or 30 members a family.
A man who doesn t have at least two wives is not a complete man, Sinousi
said.
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