Sana Abdul Salam Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — While the expatriate community is delighted with the extension of the amnesty provided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, another serious problem is being faced by those attempting to correct their status: current sponsors are demanding large sums of money to provide the release letters necessary for workers to transfer their sponsorship. Many struggle to raise the amount asked for, some even have to resort to taking out loans. Mohammed Aziz, an Indian national, said: “My sponsor has given me an ultimatum that either I pay him SR12,000 for a release, or leave the country on final exit. I am not sure how I can afford such a payment, and I am worried about leaving as I have my wife and kids to support back home.” He added that his passport is with his sponsor, who is based in another city, and the fact that he cannot get his documents back without making the payment is troubling him immensely. Ebesham, a Pakistani national and driver, expressed disappointment that he had to pay SR2,000 to ensure that his transfer could happen. “We leave our home countries to work hard here so that we can save up and support our families, so it is really disturbing to give our earnings away this way. This is totally against the Islamic principles of mercy and caring for others,” he said. Ebesham added that has been paying his sponsor SR8,500 each year in order to get his residency permit renewed. He arrived in the Kingdom on a domestic driver's visa and wants to legally shift to being a taxi driver. Another expatriate, Ibrahim, has been asked by his sponsor for SR7,500 in exchange for giving him a release. His suggestion to solve the issue is for the relevant embassy or consulate to be involved in sponsorship release and transfer. “I think that a person should be allowed to transfer his sponsorship without depending completely on his original sponsor, regardless of whether the sponsors' company belongs to the red category or not, since this puts the expat in a vulnerable position,” Ibrahim said. Currently, an expatriate can only transfer sponsorship to another company without the consent of his original sponsor if the original sponsor's company is in the red category (according to the Nitaqat regulations). If the company belongs to any of the other categories, then the original sponsor's consent is necessary. “But many expatriates enter the country on visas that don't match their position, and would rightly like to rectify this by moving their sponsorship to their current employer. I don't see why doing this should be made so difficult,” said R. Mohammed, an Indian national. Mohammed's sponsor asked for a sum of SR3,000 in exchange for providing him with a release letter. “We have major responsibilities here and back home, so this practice in a way defeats the purpose of our coming here. It clearly needs to stop,” Mohammed said. Qaisar Metawea, a partner at the Mikwar, Akkad & Metawea law firm, emphasized that during this grace period it is extremely important that everyone ensures that their status is rectified. “Since a lot depends solely on the original Saudi sponsor, the fact that he can exploit a number of expatriates is still an unresolved issue. To solve this, my suggestion is the sponsor requirement under the Residential Law should be canceled and the Labor Ministry may monitor and supervise all working expatriates, and thus there need to be serious amendments to the Residential Law here.” Many expatriates suggested that the Ministry of Labor, or the relevant consulate or embassy, should be an intervening body in the interaction between the expatriate and the original sponsor.
