SAUDI ARABIA

‘Abha body’ reopens the intruder issue

October 17, 2018



The body of an illegal migrant found abandoned on the middle of a road in east of Abha.
The body of an illegal migrant found abandoned on the middle of a road in east of Abha.

Saudi Gazette report

ABHA
— The body of a man found abandoned in a major tourist district east of Abha has reopened the case of intruders sneaking into the country across its southern border braving security officers and the challenges posed by the tough terrain.

Known in the local media as the “Abha body”, it was found in a wrapped state and left on a bed in the middle of a road.

The intruders pose a major security challenge, especially for the Border Guard officers posted in Asir and its surrounding provinces.

Makkah newspaper met with number of people of African origin who successfully sneaked into the Kingdom and got a shocking overview of the major challenges they faced on their way to Saudi Arabia.

They described their adventure as the “Journey of Death”, and many of them faced a similar fate as in the case of the Abha body.

Most of the illegals interviewed said they started their journey groups after reaching agreements with agents who took them to the Yemeni border across the Red Sea. The boats that they use lack all safety measures and sometimes cannot stand the waves. Anyone who dies on the boat is thrown out. Those who face health issues are also thrown overboard.

One of the illegals, who went by the name of Anwar, said, “After we reached the Yemeni border, an agent from our nationality or sometimes from another nationality gathered a large number of us in one of the valleys. There we were asked to pay for the smuggling attempt, which included food and drinks and transportation up to the Saudi border. Once we reached the Saudi border, the agent’s mission was over and it was all up to us.”

He added that in case someone did not pay, they would be left behind and sometimes they were tortured. Women sometimes faced situations much worst than that, he added.

Another illegal named Jaber said the most difficult part was crossing the Saudi border because of the large police presence. He added, “The smuggling agents are familiar with some rough roads away from the eyes of the Saudi security, but even those roads are not guaranteed for a successful crossing. Most of the people get arrested by Saudi border guards and very few manage to sneak through.”

He said before crossing to Saudi Arabia, they coordinated with people in Saudi Arabia who sent them a detailed map of roads they needed to cross and the cities they needed to stay in.

Yousuf, an illegal, said crossing the border to Saudi Arabia was not always easy.

“Despite the fact that there are smugglers who transport large number of people from one place to another, the amount they ask for is always high and most of the illegals cannot afford the cost. So they are forced to stop at one place, work until they collect money and then travel to the city they want to go to. The cost of smuggling from Asir to Riyadh cost SR1,500, and it was SR1,300 to Jeddah. The travel all the way to the Eastern Province cost SR2,500,” he said.

Ibrahim, another illegal, said people who came to Saudi Arabia illegally were of two types. The first one includes those who want to work an honest job such as a shepherd, farm hand or a construction worker, he said and added: “This group is always peaceful. When police storm their location, they surrender peacefully without any resistance.”

As for the second group, he said, they are the ones with ill intentions of dealing with drugs, liquor and guns. He said the second group usually lived in rough areas far away from cities because they wanted to stay in hiding. “They are usually armed with machine guns and they are the ones who always resist police,” said Ibrahim.

The phenomenon of illegal maids is widespread in Asir. Most of them live between the mountains away from the eyes of police. They are controlled by a mafia that is running a black market and they are mostly active before Ramadan and during summer vacations.

Illegal migrants from Africa recount how they braved the ‘journey of death’


October 17, 2018
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