New Laws of Commercial Registration and Trade Names take effect on Thursday    Civil Defense warns of heavy rains across Saudi Arabia until Monday    Saudi Exchange suspends trading of seven companies over financial disclosure delays    New fleet of 76 public transport buses starts operation in Jeddah on Tuesday Environmentally friendly electric buses introduced for first time    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    EU preparing 'further countermeasures' to protect its interest, von der Leyen says    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Israel announces expansion of military operation in Gaza to seize 'large areas' of land    US cancels visa of Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias    Danish prime minister refutes US claim on Greenland on visit to the Arctic territory    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Cristiano Ronaldo joins Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves    Saudi Arabia welcomes trilateral border treaty between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



5 million workers on the loose
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 31 - 10 - 2013


Muhammad Al-Othaim
Al-Eqtisadiah
I knew of a Saudi man living in a desert tent and tending livestocks who sponsor 15,000 expatriates who are not working for him. They come to see him once a year to pay his annual fee and renew their iqamas (residency permits)
The Saudi employed two youths to complete the workers' procedures and expedite their paperwork at the Passport Department. The worker pays him a certain amount in addition to the official fees. He takes care of renewing the workers' iqamas and lets them loose to do whatever they want.
This man is one among hundreds of Saudi sponsors who do not know where their workers are nor their field of work. They take money from them in return for their sponsorship. This disguised enterprise has resulted in 5 million expatriates whose jobs are not known, nor do they work in some fixed job. Also, they do not work in jobs for which they were recruited.
Five million workers are on the loose. They exhaust the resources, like the services, health facilities, food and they affect the labor market.
They compete against the lawful workers by charging lower prices, hence depriving the legal workers of a decent living.
Additionally, the Passport Department campaign has resulted in the deportation of nearly 1 million illegals before the end of the period for the rectification of workers' status. This means that 1 million cars have disappeared from the roads.
The same number of people have reduced the pressure on the health institutions, food resources and water, as people without jobs have left the country. They were functioning under the chaos of illegal sponsorships. I am not including the security implications, which is another key aspect. The undocumented worker can commit any crime and get away with it.
I believe that undocumented or loose workers who still remain in the country are nearly the same number as those who have left. Our country under present circumstances will not rid all these overstayers.
The campaign for rectification of the status of workers who are not working in the jobs they came for ought to continue. Many of these are working as shepherds, in the farms, workshops, factories and shops Kingdomwide. These places are all over the Kingdom and they require a double security effort so as to get rid of the phenomenon, which is a security breach.
If the interest of the country does not concern many sponsors, then there ought to be firm measures taken against them. We do not want our country to be an open space that is violated by people from all over the world. Whoever has a job is welcome and whoever does not should leave for the place he has come from. His country is fit for him.
What is commonly understood by these workers who come to the Kingdom is that they will not be working under a particular sponsor, but need a visa to do any job. Several years ago, the country was in need for such workers, but now the expatriates in the private sector are more than the citizens and the illegal residents are now a burden on the system.


Clic here to read the story from its source.