Undocumented Ethiopian migrant workers say they were beaten, robbed and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.Abdallah Awele, 21, said that he was treated brutally for being an illegal migrant worker in the Arab country.
I had 3,500 Saudi Arabian riyals (930 dollars, 690 euros). We were taken to prison, I lost my luggage, and all of my money was collected by the police, AFP quoted Abdallah as saying in a report published on Sunday.
The 21-year-old was part of a group of up to 400 people who returned to Ethiopia on Friday after being expelled.
Even my shoes were collected by the police, Abdallah said, speaking barefoot after leaving the airport.
On November 12, the Saudi police killed three Ethiopian migrant workers in the impoverished neighborhood of Manfuhah in the capital, Riyadh, where thousands of African workers, were waiting for buses to take them to deportation centers.
Abdullah spent six months in a prison in Saudi Arabia during which he said he did not have access to medical help and was denied food.
There is a lot of unhappiness in there, he said.
Abdurahman Kamal, who worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia, said he was beaten and jailed for ten days, adding that his employer revoked his salary and visa before handing him over to the authorities.
The police asked for money but at that time I didn't have the money, so the police beat me, said Abdurahman.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Abduljebar, who left Ethiopia three years ago, stated that he was robbed and beaten before being jailed for three months in Saudi Arabia.
He noted that he was happy to be back in his country. I would never go back again to Saudi Arabia.
Between nine and 11 million of Saudi Arabias 27-million-strong population are foreign workers.
On November 4, a seven-month amnesty for expatriate workers expired.
Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave the country during the time they had to rectify their visa status without penalty.
Many of the foreign workers say they could not use the amnesty due to bureaucratic difficulties or disputes with their original sponsors.
Foreign workers cannot change jobs or leave Saudi Arabia without the permission of their sponsors, who are often Saudi companies or individuals providing workers to businesses for profit.
In late October, rights group Amnesty International censured Saudi authorities for not addressing the dire human rights situation in the kingdom.
The group also handed in a paper to the United Nations, which included information regarding a new wave of repression against civil society, which has taken place over the last two years.
By Press TV
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