Ethiopians top misusers of Haj visa

By Khaleej Times

January 4, 2006

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JEDDAH — Ethiopians form a big chunk of those people who use the Haj and Umra visas to enter the kingdom not to perform the religious rituals but to make a living as illegal overstayers. A Nigerian official said people come to the government claiming that they lost their passports and ask for new ones, then they use new names on it. “That’s why it becomes so easy for them to travel,” he explained.

According to Brig. Mansour Al Turki, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, the kingdom faces problems from people who were already prohibited from entering the country during the Haj season. “These people return to the kingdom with new names and new passports issued in their respective countries,” he said.

“This is the third time I have come to Saudi Arabia. Every time I visit the country I use a different name,” said Layla Mohammad who is here this time on a Haj visa under the name of Halima Abdur Raheem. Earlier, she spent seven years working as a housemaid before returning to Ethiopia.

“When I missed my family I go to police officers and we agree on a deal that for a sum of SR500 they would catch me from the streets and take me to the deportation centre,” she was quoted as saying in a local daily last week. “They did that for me and for other girls from my country so that we did not have to pay for the plane ticket,” she added.

Every year Ethiopians travel to Saudi Arabia with a single mission to seek illegal employment opportunities. Men usually work in factories, as security guards, shepherds, and at times may even be involved in the sale of alcohol, while women predominantly engage in domestic work, babysitting, and few others, who aspire to make quick money, involve themselves in prostitution. “After I saw Layla in Addis Ababa I asked her to take me with her but the only way was under the condition that I give her my name, so I did and I took my mother’s name,” said Nayma Brijin, Layla’s friend.

Studies show that Africans obtain their travel expenses for Haj pilgrimage from some relative, agreeing that it would be returned with interest, while others who own property manage to secure bank loans and a few manage to pay for their travel expenses. “I am the eldest daughter and my family decided to send me to Jeddah to bring more money home,” said Rahma who left her husband and three children back home.