I am writing with regard to the article “Who were the real beneficiaries of the grace period?” (Nov. 20). It is common knowledge that Haj and Umrah violators were the ones who came to the Kingdom with the intention of overstaying their visas and working illegally. This took away jobs from other workers who were legal residents of Saudi Arabia. Although the Haj and Umrah overstayers violated the laws of the country intentionally, they are the ones who benefited the most from the Amnesty as they were able to legalize their status without either punishment or penalty. Avid1111, Online response II. The Saudi sponsor and recruitment agencies who brought expats to the Kingdom on work visas and left them to work anywhere and took a monthly fee from them should also be penalized. The same goes for passport and immigration officials who issued visas without crosschecking the status of the Saudi employer to see whether or not he had work for the expatriates he was bringing to the country. Zahoor Ahmed, Online response III. Nothing you can do will make a sponsor change his mind if he has made millions of riyals out of the pockets of those poor people who sold all their belongings in order to try to make a decent and honest living here in Saudi Arabia. Saudi sponsors have found ways to circumvent the law in order not to be jailed by reporting their workers “huroob”. Justice is blind and is not for the poor and downtrodden. Manong, Online response
