Ethiopia: UN urges on Saudi treat migrants properly
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
September 3, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations refugees agency (UNHCR) expressed concern on the deteriorating treatment of migrants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following the death of five Ethiopians in a crowded prison there.
The Arab News daily reported earlier this week that five Ethiopians died of “asphyxiation due to overcrowding,” in the deportation centre in southern Red Sea port of Jizan, a Saudi prison which they call it ‘centre for deporting illegal immigrants’.
The incident along with the growing reports of deportation of Somalis has drawn sound alarm on the way asylum-seekers are treated in the Kingdom.
UN refugee agency HCR said it was shocked by the reported deaths of the five Ethiopian migrants.
“These two cases were not necessarily linked, but certainly, the five deaths in detention were deplorable,” Adrian Edwards, spokesperson of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters in Geneva.
Asked if an investigation will be carried out with regard to the alleged deaths of the five Ethiopians earlier this week, Edwards said he believed that the “competent authorities” were looking into the matter.
Ethiopia’s consul in Jeddah Tekleab Kebede told AFP – “We are following the case,” He gave no other details nor did he confirm the deaths.
According to the UN official, the UNHCR had no access to any detention or deportation facilities in Saudi Arabia. However he said that the agency is exploring the possibility of being allowed to screen the people in those centers to ensure that those being deported were not in the category of people in need of international protection.
Every year, thousands of young Ethiopian women are being enticed to the Middle East with the promise of lucrative work. However considerable numbers of them end up to only suffer a lengthy working hours without sleeping or suffer to verbal, physical mistreatment behind closed doors.
Many of them are denied of their months of salary or are thrown away by their employers if attempted to protest.
A number of these Ethiopians, mainly hired as maids, and who fail to stand the daily abuses commit suicide or end up in some physical or mental injury.
Most of the girls are offered these jobs by organizations (mainly illegal) which set themselves up as travel agencies in Ethiopia who have contacts with people in countries of the Middle East.
These agencies seek some 900 USD from each girl without no legal guarantee or contracts to process their travel. Many of these women are from poor families and borrow money from relatives hoping a better future life despite what their fate might turn into, up on arrival on the Gulf and Middle East countries.
(ST)