Saudi Arabia: Extreme Brutality Against Migrants From Ethiopia ——————– The following is an Urgent Action statement from the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA). HRLHA is a nonpolitical organization (with the UN Economic and Social Council – (ECOSOC) Consultative Status), which attempts to challenge abuses of human rights of the people of various nations and nationalities in the Horn of Africa. ——————– HRLHA Appeal and Urgent Action November 13, 2013 For Immediate Release Honorable ABDULLAH bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia; Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Riyadh, Royal Court: 1-488-2222, Jeddah: 2-665-4233 Taif: 2-736-5200, Makkah: 2-823-4111, Madinah: 4-857-2500 His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Upon the expiration of the three months extended deadline for migrant workers to renew their residency and employment status (November 4, 2013), thousands of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia most of whom believed to be from Ethiopia were apprehended in various regions of the Kingdom by Ministry of Labor inspection squads formed for this purpose under the pretext of flushing out workers who violate rules regarding work and residency permits. The most victimized of the raids to flush out illegal workers were the free visa holder migrant workers from Ethiopia. ‘Free visa’ holders are considered among the most exploited, lowest paid and abused workforce in Saudi Arabia. The sponsor, who keeps the worker’s passport and other travel documents with him/her, plays a crucial role in the worker’s life. All dealings with the government such as renewal of ‘iqama’ or residency permit are through the sponsor. Sources from the capital city, Riyadh, reported that among the total of 28000 surrounded migrants, authorities detained around 16,500 migrant workers in the first four days (November 5–9, 2013) in a nationwide crackdown across seven provinces. The Saudi officials confirmed that, among the seven provinces, nearly half of the migrants were arrested near the southern border with Yemen and in Mecca, where some Muslims stay on illegally after their pilgrimage. Though the police officials in the capital city claim that the security forces killed the African migrant worker in el-Manhoufa because he and others tried to resist arrest, the information from the migrants and from the publicly released video confirmed that the three killed were murdered by the brutal action of police. Among the victims was Umere Abdurahiman Ali , 24 an Oromo national from Ethiopia who was gunned down on November 5. - Read the Full Statement (HRLHA): gadaa/oduu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/grnovSaudi-HRLHA-UA.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 05:23:38 +0000
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