Across the long border, thousands of curious illegal migrants wait for sunset so as to cross into Saudi Arabia from Yemen to sell the most sought after products to mitigate the relentless parched-up afternoons in the Kingdom. They are seen selling chilled bottles of water, refreshing watermelons and other fruits at the most dangerous places – at the middle of a busy road, a buggy traffic light, and at a footpath littered with potholes. But that comes with a price tag, draining the country out of legal work opportunities, and even worse disfiguring it with the leprosy of crime. At the southern border of the Kingdom with Yemen come the majority of these fleet-footed hawkers to make a living, illegal one if one looks into the labor law. Saudi border guards reportedly detain over 1,000 Yemeni illegal migrants a day who come to the Kingdom to make a career out of illegal hawking and beggary, especially in Ramadan. Last year, more than 250,000 illegal migrants were reportedly arrested in the Kingdom. A big number of them came from Yemen. Yemen's Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is aware of the dire conditions back home that would drive their citizens out of the country. That may not stop until the economy improves. It may not happen soon though. A source at the ministry was quoted as saying the Saudi authorities arrest an average of 10 Yemeni children a day as they attempt to cross into the Saudi border illegally. To curb the spike of illegal border crossing, the Saudi Border Guards Authority has recently announced the completion of a border fence. In addition to illegal migration, the fence is believed to also stop smuggling of arms and drugs into the country. Despite harsh living conditions back home, illegal migrants often spend a sizeable amount of money to cross the border for extremely low-paid jobs, usually cheap labor in construction. When no job is available, some may show the nasty face in criminal activities. Saudi Gazette caught up with some such Yemeni sellers on a busy street in Jeddah, with a police official patrolling at a distance of just 500 meter. A 25-year-old Yemeni fruit vendor said he crossed into the Kingdom two months ago after paying SR1,250 for the smuggler to come all the way from the Hudaida region in Yemen. But is it worth? He said he earns a profit of SR50 to SR60 per day. Maybe it is something back home. As he spoke, a tear rolled down his cheeks for his family in Yemen, “I know I am an illegal myself, so how can I bring my family here.” On the opposite side of the same street, a bottled-water seller was less amenable. He was hard to persuade to talk, even on assuring conditions of anonymity. When he finally agreed to talk, he said he had come to the Kingdom the month before from the Mahavi region in Yemen. He paid SR600 to be brought in. He said he now makes a profit of SR40 to SR50 a day by selling bottled-water. The seller, who appeared to be in his early 20s, on realizing that he wasn't talking to a prospective buyer, abruptly ended the conversation and ran away. A few meters ahead, the Saudi Gazette spotted a father and a son, next to a cart loaded with watermelons. The father, who appeared to be in his 60s, and his teenaged son first pretended to be Saudis. The father became suspicious upon being asked about his legal details, and before disappearing behind the cart, he said “Ana Saudi (I am a Saudi).” This, apparently, was not true as his edgy attitude coupled with a typical Yemeni accent and appearance told a different story. Another bottled-water seller, on being questioned, hurried away without even taking money for the bottle of water that he sold to this reporter. They were all too afraid to talk. They are here just to make ends meet. While a few say that street sellers create unnecessary traffic obstruction, many feel that they should be looked at with sympathy as they shell out money to come to the Kingdom to earn a living, but eventually end up with marginal jobs. Really, a life on the margin of society. “It is sad to see them, especially old men, selling in the scorching sun to make a living,” said Ayesha Farooqui, an Indian. The sellers purchase articles (bottled-water, toys, fruits and others) at wholesale prices, and sell at a much higher retail price. A source at Makkah police said that around 10 street sellers of different nationalities are caught everyday in the Makkah region alone. The source said street-selling itself is illegal whether or not the person is an Iqama holder or not. “The municipality, Makkah police and the Passports Department dispatch special squads which patrol all districts. Those who are caught without Iqama are deported to their home countries, and those with Iqama are turned over to the Passports Department which issues a formal warning to them not to repeat the act; and if found doing it again, they will be deported,” the source said. __
