Saudi Gazette report

GENEVA — Saudi Arabia has granted citizenship to more than 50,000 people along with their families after they moved to Saudi Arabia following political, economic and social turmoil in their countries.

“The government has also issued ID for more than 800,000 displaced people from these countries who were living in the Kingdom without proper documents. The government measure enabled them to move, work, get education and healthcare and they have been exempted from all fees and fines,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Khayal, deputy president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission.

He highlighted this in his speech at the 70th session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner’s Refugee Program in Geneva. The three-day session on “Stateless Persons” concluded on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Khayal said that the political, economic and social changes in some countries have led some of their nationals move and settle down in Saudi Arabia.

“The Kingdom took measures and efforts on humanitarian ground to serve these groups and provide them with all the requirements of a decent life while ensuring their basic rights. The Saudi laws grant citizenship for any child born in the Kingdom of unknown parents,” he said.

He stressed that the Kingdom deals with these groups in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Islamic religion which calls for love, peace and brotherhood, and is keen to provide relief and help for those in need, in accordance with the humanitarian principles established by all international conventions and treaties.

“The Kingdom is playing a comprehensive humanitarian role in supporting all humanitarian issues around the world, and it occupies the third place among the world countries in the volume of relief, humanitarian and development aid. The Kingdom has earmarked a large portion of that assistance to refugees in areas that have suffered and continue to suffer from conflict, war and natural disasters.”

Al-Khayal noted that the Kingdom has provided about $18 billion to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of Syrian refugees caused by displacement in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece.

He thanked UNHCR for its significant role in the protection and support of refugees, and its contributions to their voluntary repatriation, appreciating their efforts to promote and protect human rights.

“The Kingdom, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, is witnessing comprehensive reforms and continuous development within the framework of the implementation of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 that focuses on the human being,” he added.