NGOs: Respect human rights of detainees during crackdown 5120653461752483.jpg An illegal African immigrant is seen as he tries to escape in Thamama, Riyadh, in this March 10, 2013 file photo. (Reuters) RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO | ARAB NEWS STAFF Published — Monday 4 November 2013 Last update 4 November 2013 4:33 am | نسخة PDF Send to Friend Print News | A A LATEST STORIES IN SAUDI ARABIA Embassy made SR20m in fees from exiting Filipinos Crown prince thanks MoH for Haj feat KSA has lowest poverty rate in Arab world: WB report Expats worried sick as amnesty ends Saudi education catching up with world’s best More International NGOs have appealed to Saudi authorities to respect the rights of undocumented migrants amid raids that are set to begin Monday. The head of the Saudi National Human Rights Association (NHRA) told a local daily that it is the right of Saudi Arabia to deport any worker who does not follow the country’s laws or those who entered the country illegally. Some 1,200 new workplace inspectors have undergone training to deal with violators of the Saudi labor law and make them liable for punishment, including imprisonment. Many questions have been raised, most importantly about the money involved, since many of the violators’ employers are not ready to pay any amount to those facing deportation. “While we fully understand the countrys need to organize the labor system and to correct expats’ residency and work permit status, we appeal to authorities to observe the human rights issue as well,” said John Leonard Monterona of Filipino migrant rights group Migrante-Middle East and North Africa (Migrante-MENA). Another advocate for overseas Filipino workers expressed his confidence in the capacity of Saudi authorities in dealing with the issue responsibly, while protecting human rights in accordance with Islamic Shariah. “This observation is based on my 30 years of experience of living and working in the Kingdom. Saudi authorities have the innate capacity and capability to promote the rights of every citizen and foreigners alike,” Rashid Arañas Fabricante told Arab News. Amid the fears of some sections of the Filipino community of an extensive crackdown on illegals and those who failed to correct their status, We believe that qualified ‘moderation’ and ‘toleration’ will be applied to those who exerted efforts to correct their status, he said. Those on their way to a graceful exit will be granted such, not at the expense of their privacy, right to properties and freedom of movement, Fabricante added. “Saudi Arabia’s move was for the sake of both security and providing jobs for its citizens, which is a top priority for any developing country,” said a similar statement from SPMUDA International, a UN-recognized NGO based in the Philippines. It added that in the course of a crackdown there might be some human rights violations by the designated enforcement authority to implement the ordinance. “We hope that Saudi Arabia would not like this to happen,” founding chairman Camad Ali said. “The move to correct workers’ status would help in upholding justice. It ensures the national security and its economic and social stability,” Muflih Al-Qahtani, NHRA’s president, told a local daily here on Sunday. He said the measure helps to organize the market and provide job opportunities to Saudis. Monterona said that deportees and other expats should be treated humanely. There had been reports of abuse, manhandling, slapping and kicking in the previous operation against violators. He said that his group is concerned with the possibility of an intense crackdown on undocumented migrants across the Kingdom in the coming days. He pointed out that his group is ready to provide assistance to the remaining undocumented OFWs by calling their officers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar. “We also appeal to the Saudi government to waive the imposition of immigration penalties and fines to all apprehended undocumented migrants and instead, put in place swift deportation proceedings,” Monterona added. “We have set up monitoring centers and hotlines. We want to ensure that authorities respect the rights and well-being of undocumented migrants. Though undocumented, they have rights, too,” Monterona observed. The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) estimates that there are around 7,000 to 10,000 undocumented OFWs in Saudi Arabia. Only 4,000 plus have been repatriated since last week as per Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reports.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:01:01 +0000
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