MoL cracks down on visa violators

Mufrej Al-Haqabani, deputy labor minister, said that the ministry turned in a number of employees and business owners suspected in corruption cases involving the issuance of unauthorized visas to administrative and security agencies.
The ministry took action against them, he said, including the suspension of services provided to them and the cancellation of the visas issued by them. In addition, the ministry has suspended the suspected employees.
Haqabani told Al Yaum that the general orientation of the ministry is to make a total transformation to technology and its application.
He said that the Ministry of Labor is working with King Fahd Security College to prepare training courses and portfolios for inspectors in order to upgrade their capabilities in spotting and detecting unlawful practices.
“Manipulating visas is common in many countries in the world due to a lack of classification systems and due to the non-availability of a classification labor organization for obtaining work-related visas under a legal and security umbrella,” Abd Al-Munim Bukhari, a member of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Ash Sharq Al Awsat.
Bukhari said there are many citizens who want to evade paying the required fees of commercial registers, as well as the dues of Zakah and income tax. Many establishments and individuals issue commercial visas under false classifications.
Bukhari urged that visas must be scrutinized prior to their issuance and prior to allowing the visitor to arrive in Saudi Arabia. He also urged that there must be coordination between the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the various embassies and consulates in order to help curb unlawful practices and stop those who make a business of trading visas.
He said that the actions taken by the Ministry of Labor help in propping up labor cases and block those who make a business of visa issuance.
Meanwhile, Kahlid Al Aily, an expert and owner of a data protection company, said that Saudi Arabia can protect its labor system.
Al Aily found it strange that many citizens and expat residents fall victim to this phenomenon. “Due to the lack of strict legal action to hold these people responsible, this phenomenon has become very common,” he said.
“When you find that a single business has issued 5,000 visas, you must wonder: Did he do this single-handedly? Or is there a full fledged network that hacks computer systems with the help of insiders? Maybe the authorities just fall behind in detecting such acts,” he exclaimed.