Egypt intervenes to help fishermen detained in Saudi Arabia

CAIRO – 3 April 2017: Egypt’s consulate in Jedda has communicated with six Egyptian fishermen detained in Saudi Arabia and is working to resolving the financial dispute with their sponsor and provide all legal support, according to a Monday statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A consular delegation met with the sponsor to reach a settlement and provide appropriate residences and livelihood to the fishermen, said Khaled Rizk, vice deputy foreign minister for consular affairs, adding that he personally communicated with the sponsor to solve the financial conflict.

“The consulate is determined to pursue its efforts to resolve the dispute in a way that preserves the rights of the fisherman,” Risk said.

Egyptian Fishermen’s Syndicate head Ahmed Nassar appealed to the ministry earlier this week to intervene and end the crisis of the six fishermen, saying they went to Saudi Arabia with valid work contracts for two years with their sponsor.

“They only worked for a few months … and the sponsor refuses to let them work for him again or return to Egypt,” Nassar said,

according to Sada El Balad

.

According to the ministry’s statement, the sponsor has not paid the fishermen’s salary for several months and they stopped working 10 days ago, which resulted in the current dispute.

The sponsorship system (Kafala) requires unskilled migrant laborers in countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq and Jordan to have a sponsor in the country, usually their employer, who holds their passports and has authority over their visa and legal status.