After the appearance of my article “Extension of grace period is essential” in this newspaper on June 12, several people contacted me by phone and e-mail besides posting their comments online. The article dealt with the reasons why the amnesty must be extended and the need for putting an end to the suffering that many expatriates are undergoing in their bid to rectify their residential status. Most of the expatriates who contacted me or commented through the newspaper's online edition expressed their thanks and appreciation for making the general public aware of the difficulties that they are facing. I would like to shed light on some of the problems that they expressed because these problems are being experienced by a large number of expatriates. Muhammad from Bangladesh said that he has been living in the Kingdom for the past 39 years. He has three sons who were born and brought up here. Although his sons received their education here, they were forced to leave the Kingdom under the law that was in effect before the issuance of the royal order to correct the work and residency status of all expatriates, including Bangladeshis. However, as far as these people are concerned, they are not in a position to return to the Kingdom either on visit or Umrah visas. Muhammad, who is not in good health, wishes that his sons could be with him. I also wish that Muhammad could have his sons return to the Kingdom. I am very happy to see that the ban imposed on our brothers from Bangladesh has been lifted. There is no point in treating those who have spent 39 years in the Kingdom in the same way as those who arrived yesterday. An expatriate woman sent me a message in which she pointed out that she is working at a community school run by expatriates from her country. She draws a salary of SR1400 and is living with her husband and children. The woman said that the school authorities want to change her sponsorship to the school but she is reluctant to do so because of her apprehension that she may be deprived of the advantages that she now enjoys under the sponsorship of her husband. She is well aware that the school authorities cannot provide her with these benefits. Her case is a typical example of many expatriate women who are working at private and international schools, especially at those schools that follow a foreign syllabus. I think that it is fair and logical to find a specific way to solve the problems of these women and allow them to work at these schools and at the same time allow them to remain under the sponsorship of their husbands. If these schools dispense with these teachers, the only alternative is to recruit new teachers under their sponsorship. This would lead to a huge financial burden and this would eventually lead to an exorbitant hike in tuition fees which would be borne by the parents. Another expatriate who prefers to be identified only as G.H. said that my article instilled in him and many others some sort of confidence and feeling of security as they are always living in fear at their workplace and while going outside. He requested that the concerned authorities force their sponsors to do something with regard to rectifying their work and residency status. The expatriate also pointed out that it is unjust that the sponsor remains in air-conditioned facilities while his workers are waiting for hours in long queues under the scorching sun in front of labor offices, passport offices, deportation centers, embassies and consulates. This happens even though all the relevant information about expatriates is available with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor and the correction of their status is possible without expatriates being forced to undergo such an ordeal. For my part, I believe that it is unfair and unjust to create a situation in which any citizen or expatriate who seeks a government service has to wait in long queues. Surely it is possible to find the best way to render the required service without making people suffer. Each of these people can be given a token and a fixed time can be set for them to appear at the concerned government office. And in this way, rectifying the status of each of them would be possible without any hardship and suffering. I received another message from an expatriate called Rafi. His complaint is that he has not received a residency permit (iqama) even though 75 days have passed since his arrival in the Kingdom on a new visa. This has caused him hardship and problems that he had never expected. He wonders if his sponsor is deliberately delaying the procedures with an eye to getting more money or if he may be a visa trader. He thinks that things are going on much as they were in the past. However, those who think in such ways should fear Allah and realize that the time of the so-called free visas is over, and it is not possible to exploit people and deprive them of their rights. Finally, I was shocked to hear the statement of the Deputy Minister of Labor in which he indicated recently that there is no possibility of extending the grace period and that the inspection campaign aimed at taking penal action against violators, including employers and workers, shall begin immediately after the expiry of the grace period. I hope that there will be a review of his comments because this will only lead to a difficult situation in which a number of people have not had adequate time to rectify their residency status in the proper manner. — Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at [email protected]
