By Awad Al-Khedadi
Saudi Gazette


TAIF — Three government agencies in Taif — the Passports Department, Labor Office and a branch of the Ministry of Agriculture — have refused to receive reports from employers on runaway workers under the pretext that the issue doesn’t fall under their respective jurisdictions.

The Passports Department says dealing with runaway farm workers including shepherds, bee breeders and farmers is the responsibility of the Agriculture Ministry. Col. Maish Al-Talhi, director of the Passports Department in Taif, said that according to the law, his department is only responsible for dealing with runaway domestic workers such as maids and drivers and other cases it receives from the Labor Office.

However, Hamoud Al-Tewairiqi, director of the Ministry of Agriculture’s branch in Taif, said the ministry in general and the branch in particular is not responsible for receiving reports on runaway farm workers and added that the branch does not even has access to the automated system used to document complaints of workers who have absconded from their employers.

Al-Tewairiqi said the role of the ministry is limited to answering questions about farm workers and pointed to an agreement between the Ministry of Labor and the Passports Department in which the latter agreed in principle to register any reports on runaway farm workers.

However, he said the agreement was still in the process of being signed. Al-Tewairiqi added that the Ministry of Agriculture has written to the Labor Ministry to find a solution and is awaiting a reply.