RIYADH: The deportation center in Riyadh is overflowing with detainees from Asian countries due to the lack of airplane seats as the summer rush begins.
“Detainees are usually kept in camps until they are deported to their respective countries,” an Asian diplomat said.
The deportees include overstayers, convicts released from jail, runaway maids and foreigners who were denied entry at King Khaled Airport after fingerprinting revealed that they had been blacklisted.
Expressing frustration over their inability to travel, a group of Indians went on hunger strike on Saturday. As a result, officials from the Indian Embassy were called to reassure the deportees that they would be sent home as soon as flights are available.
Around 30 Indian detainees were scheduled to leave by Saudi Arabian Airlines yesterday; another 200 are waiting for their turn.
Deportees are flown home by Saudia following an understanding between the authorities and the carrier. Detainees also have the option of paying for their tickets to leave early.
L. Abeyratne, labor counselor at the Sri Lankan Embassy, said 169 runaway maids living in the mission’s safe house were waiting for available seats to Colombo.
He added that most of them wanted the cheapest flight available because they were paying the airfare themselves. “Because of the recent hike in ticket prices, they won’t able to go home during the summer,” he added.
One-way tickets from Riyadh to Colombo cost SR1,500, up from SR800 a few weeks ago.
Besides the 169 maids in the embassy-run safe house, around 200 Sri Lankan maids are in the government’s detention camp waiting for their turn to go home.
