Saudi Arabia: Countries sending housemaids to the Kingdom were disappointed at the rate in which exit visas are being stamped at the Deportation Center in Riyadh. Some 10,000 housemaids, with emergency certificates are struggling to get their exit visas stamped at the immigration counter in the Deportation Center’s women section, describing the output at the counters as very slow. Countries that are affected by the bureaucratic delay include Indonesia, Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. A spokesman from one of these Asian embassies told Arab News yesterday that they have issued some 1,500 emergency certificates but so far obtained only 300 exit visas stamped from the authorities. “We are worried that we won’t be able to meet the deadline due to the delay on the part of the authorities,” he said, pointing out that the mission was able to obtain only six exit visas for maids. “How can we move on at this rate?” he asked. There is only one computer at the Deportation Center to process the exit visas, said another envoy. “They work from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on working days, how many exit visas can be stamped in a day?” he asked. Another common complaint made by the mission is that the deportation authorities are demanding their original iqamas and passports from the stranded women, who do not have any proper documents except for the emergency certificates issued by the embassies.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 09:15:53 +0000
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