SAUDI ARABIA'S ADDICTION TO FOREIGN LABOR HAS HIT A STUMBLING BLOCK

 

Many Saudis, either through wealth or familial connection to the Saudi monarchy do not do any chores or work.  They rely almost completely on foreign workers. 

But the conditions in which these workers live, and the restrictions put upon them by the government makes their lives in some cases very difficult. 

Some of the migrant workers enter the country illegally from neighboring countries from the horn of Africa, such as Ethiopia, but they also come from as far as Malaysia.  

But the Saudis have cracked down on illegal immigrants, and have ordered all of them to leave the country at once.  

The illegal migrants have protested the evacuation orders and riots have ensued since the weekends that have left two people dead.  Ethiopia had already mobilized to repatriate all Ethiopian citizens working in the kingdom for fear of violence after one Ethiopian migrant was allegedly killed as the Saudis corralled the migrants into special camps. 

The migrants fought back the extradition order and rounding up by attacking Saudis with rocks and knives on Sunday.  

Many people were wounded in the riots, with one Saudi dead and another still to be identified killed in the riots.  More than 500 people were arrested. 

The riots however, were sparked by the earlier alleged death, now apparently confirmed, of one Ethiopian who was killed when he resisted the roundup process. 

Almost one million migrants had already heeded the extradition order, which became effective after a seven month amnesty period was allowed for people to repatriate.  

There are almost one third as many workers in Saudi Arabia as there are Saudis.  Four million migrants were able to become legal by finding sponsored employment before the amnesty period expired, leaving however, the cheap labor market bereft once the illegals moved out.  

Almost nine million foreigners work in Saudi Arabia through sponsored work.  

But the foreign and cheap labor that is constantly flowing into SAudi Arabia has also created a staggering 12.5 unemployment rate for the Saudi citizens who need work and are in general substituted by the cheaper labor filled by migrants. 

The order of extradition was in fact done with the intent of opening some of the jobs to the Saudi citizens.  But the problem is that the illegal migrants work for much less, and the employer do not want or can't hire people at regular rates.  Cost of labor is already surging because of the shortage created by the extradition order. 

Source : France 24 /  11.10.13