Monday, March 15, 2004
This article is from today's arabnews.com. I was hoping this was a joke, but it turns out it is apallingly real. So here is a bit of what is going on in Saudi directly from our Saudi friends:
No Letup in Raids Against Travel Agents in Riyadh
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News Staff
RIYADH, 15 March 2004 — Raids and sweeping arrests of expatriate travel agents continued until last night, defying hopes of a grace period for Saudization of the travel industry.
No more heads have been forcibly shaved, according to recently released travel agents.
But all detained workers complained barbers in the detention center used pressure tactics to persuade workers to allow their heads to be shaved — possibly to maximize their income. Some said that while head-shaving was not mandatory, many inmates were tense and anxious during detention and did not dare refuse or simply asked no questions of the barbers.
One detained worker also alleged that a few policemen behaved in an indecent manner when some inmates of the deportation center refused a shave.
Immediately after his release, V. Ramachandran Suresh, who spent the weekend in deportation cell No. 2, said two of his colleagues — a Sri Lankan and another Indian — succumbed to the pressure from the barber alone and got their heads shaved.
Detainees also complained of poor hygienic conditions and overcrowding in the holding cell.
Muhammad Banaras Khan of TransContinent Travel, who was released last week, said Saudi officials are still holding his Iqama (residence permit).
Subodh Shetty, who works as a sales executive for STATCO, said he and his colleagues got their Iqamas back after their sponsors paid the fine.
Sunday night’s raids took place in several agencies in Olaya and Shumaisy districts, according to a travel agent. It was not known how many workers were detained last night.
Some foreign workers escaped. “All of us fled by the back door of the agency’s office while the front door was closed.”
Many travel agents had hoped a grace period would be announced at the beginning of the week, and some are still hopeful.
Abdul Ghaffar, an industry expert, said that the authorities should map out a practical plan. “Because of the Sept. 11 attack, the Iraq war and SARS, the industry has been in turmoil,” he said adding it was “high time for government to lend support to the sector.”
No Letup in Raids Against Travel Agents in Riyadh
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News Staff
RIYADH, 15 March 2004 — Raids and sweeping arrests of expatriate travel agents continued until last night, defying hopes of a grace period for Saudization of the travel industry.
No more heads have been forcibly shaved, according to recently released travel agents.
But all detained workers complained barbers in the detention center used pressure tactics to persuade workers to allow their heads to be shaved — possibly to maximize their income. Some said that while head-shaving was not mandatory, many inmates were tense and anxious during detention and did not dare refuse or simply asked no questions of the barbers.
One detained worker also alleged that a few policemen behaved in an indecent manner when some inmates of the deportation center refused a shave.
Immediately after his release, V. Ramachandran Suresh, who spent the weekend in deportation cell No. 2, said two of his colleagues — a Sri Lankan and another Indian — succumbed to the pressure from the barber alone and got their heads shaved.
Detainees also complained of poor hygienic conditions and overcrowding in the holding cell.
Muhammad Banaras Khan of TransContinent Travel, who was released last week, said Saudi officials are still holding his Iqama (residence permit).
Subodh Shetty, who works as a sales executive for STATCO, said he and his colleagues got their Iqamas back after their sponsors paid the fine.
Sunday night’s raids took place in several agencies in Olaya and Shumaisy districts, according to a travel agent. It was not known how many workers were detained last night.
Some foreign workers escaped. “All of us fled by the back door of the agency’s office while the front door was closed.”
Many travel agents had hoped a grace period would be announced at the beginning of the week, and some are still hopeful.
Abdul Ghaffar, an industry expert, said that the authorities should map out a practical plan. “Because of the Sept. 11 attack, the Iraq war and SARS, the industry has been in turmoil,” he said adding it was “high time for government to lend support to the sector.”
Comments:
Post a Comment
