New labour laws: Around 4,000 Pakistanis languish in Saudi detention centres

Pakistani men say Arab sponsors demand hefty amount to sign papers without which they cannot have residence permits.

LAHORE: More than 4,000 Pakistani immigrant workers in Saudi Arabia are held in various detention centres across the kingdom for non-compliance with new labour laws that were introduced last year, Express News reported on Sunday.

In a video obtained by Express News, Pakistani men held in one of such detention centres said that their Arab sponsors demand approximately $4,000 to $5,300 to sign documents without which they cannot have proper residence permits. In the video, detainees also expressed their frustration about their living conditions.

Many Pakistanis who were living in Saudi Arabia at the time these new laws were introduced had paid hefty sums, sometimes more than $6,000, to have a valid visa to Saudi Arabia.

The Associated Press of Pakistan reported late January that the status of more than 950,000 Pakistani workers affected by the legislation had been regularised but many still remained without proper documentation.