Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JEDDAH416
2008-09-29 14:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:
ETHIOPIANS POSING AS MUSLIMS AND CROSSING YEMENI
how-toVZCZCXRO4033 PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR DE RUEHJI #0416 2731459 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 291459Z SEP 08 FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0932 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 1343 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 8058
C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000416
SIPDIS
RIYADH PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018
TAGS: ELAB PHUM SCUL SA
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIANS POSING AS MUSLIMS AND CROSSING YEMENI
BORDER TO WORK IN SAUDI ARABIA
REF: 08JEDDAH148
Classified By: CG Martin Quinn for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d.
C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000416
SIPDIS
RIYADH PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018
TAGS: ELAB PHUM SCUL SA
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIANS POSING AS MUSLIMS AND CROSSING YEMENI
BORDER TO WORK IN SAUDI ARABIA
REF: 08JEDDAH148
Classified By: CG Martin Quinn for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d.
1. (C) SUMMARY: An Ethiopian diplomat says tat many illegal
Ethiopian Christian workers ente Saudi Arabia by posing as
Muslims to get pilgriage visas. Other illegal workers are
smuggled though the porous Saudi-Yemeni border. Saud
police raids on illegal residents among the Ethiopian
community are alleged to have become common practice. END
SUMMARY.
2. (C) Poloff met on August 25 with Ethiopian Consul Muktar
Muhamad, who detailed recent trends in Ethiopian migration to
Saudi Arabia. He shared that there are now 80-100 thousand
Ethiopians in the Kingdom, with 60-70 percent of the workers
being illegal, many having overstayed Hajj or Umrah visas in
the hope of finding work. The majority of the laborers are
female domestic workers.
3. (C) Muktar noted that 30 percent of the Ethiopian workers
are Christian, most being Orthodox and the minority
Protestant. He claims that many Christians pose as Muslims
at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Addis Ababa in order to get
Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage visas. The Saudi Embassy screens
all of the applicants, but is not able to fully detect many
of those posing as Christians. A small number of Protestant
Ethiopians attempt to proselytize Saudis (non-Muslim
proselytizing is strictly illegal in Saudi Arabia),acts
which anger or worry other Ethiopians who fear reprisal from
the authorities.
4. (C) Another source of illegal Ethiopian immigration comes
from the porous border with Yemen. Muktar notes that a small
number of those crossing include drug and alcohol smugglers.
He claims the Saudis have shot six to eight Ethiopians
attempting to cross during the last year, despite the fact
that some of these individuals were not smugglers. NOTE:
Saudi security officials have told Post that policing the
Yemeni border is extremely difficult, and that human traffic
includes children, many of whom end up in child beggar rings
(Reftel). END NOTE.
5. (C) Muktar stated that between thirty and forty thousand
Ethiopians are deported annually, usually discovered in
police raids of residential areas. He pointed out that there
have been a few instances of Ethiopians being killed during
these incidents. The overall number of workers is not
depleted because more workers continue to arrive. Those on
Hajj or Umrah visas arrive in Saudi with a return ticket, but
they let it expire in almost all of the cases where they
intentionally overstay knowing that once they are deported,
Saudi Arabia will pay for the return flight. If illegal
workers are found carrying any money, they are required to
use their funds to pay for the flight.
6. (C) COMMENT: Post is not aware that the Ethiopian
consul's claim that Christians are posing as Muslims in order
to work illegally in Saudi Arabia has been previously
documented among laborers coming from other countries. END
COMMENT.
QUINN
SIPDIS
RIYADH PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018
TAGS: ELAB PHUM SCUL SA
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIANS POSING AS MUSLIMS AND CROSSING YEMENI
BORDER TO WORK IN SAUDI ARABIA
REF: 08JEDDAH148
Classified By: CG Martin Quinn for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d.
1. (C) SUMMARY: An Ethiopian diplomat says tat many illegal
Ethiopian Christian workers ente Saudi Arabia by posing as
Muslims to get pilgriage visas. Other illegal workers are
smuggled though the porous Saudi-Yemeni border. Saud
police raids on illegal residents among the Ethiopian
community are alleged to have become common practice. END
SUMMARY.
2. (C) Poloff met on August 25 with Ethiopian Consul Muktar
Muhamad, who detailed recent trends in Ethiopian migration to
Saudi Arabia. He shared that there are now 80-100 thousand
Ethiopians in the Kingdom, with 60-70 percent of the workers
being illegal, many having overstayed Hajj or Umrah visas in
the hope of finding work. The majority of the laborers are
female domestic workers.
3. (C) Muktar noted that 30 percent of the Ethiopian workers
are Christian, most being Orthodox and the minority
Protestant. He claims that many Christians pose as Muslims
at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Addis Ababa in order to get
Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage visas. The Saudi Embassy screens
all of the applicants, but is not able to fully detect many
of those posing as Christians. A small number of Protestant
Ethiopians attempt to proselytize Saudis (non-Muslim
proselytizing is strictly illegal in Saudi Arabia),acts
which anger or worry other Ethiopians who fear reprisal from
the authorities.
4. (C) Another source of illegal Ethiopian immigration comes
from the porous border with Yemen. Muktar notes that a small
number of those crossing include drug and alcohol smugglers.
He claims the Saudis have shot six to eight Ethiopians
attempting to cross during the last year, despite the fact
that some of these individuals were not smugglers. NOTE:
Saudi security officials have told Post that policing the
Yemeni border is extremely difficult, and that human traffic
includes children, many of whom end up in child beggar rings
(Reftel). END NOTE.
5. (C) Muktar stated that between thirty and forty thousand
Ethiopians are deported annually, usually discovered in
police raids of residential areas. He pointed out that there
have been a few instances of Ethiopians being killed during
these incidents. The overall number of workers is not
depleted because more workers continue to arrive. Those on
Hajj or Umrah visas arrive in Saudi with a return ticket, but
they let it expire in almost all of the cases where they
intentionally overstay knowing that once they are deported,
Saudi Arabia will pay for the return flight. If illegal
workers are found carrying any money, they are required to
use their funds to pay for the flight.
6. (C) COMMENT: Post is not aware that the Ethiopian
consul's claim that Christians are posing as Muslims in order
to work illegally in Saudi Arabia has been previously
documented among laborers coming from other countries. END
COMMENT.
QUINN