After arriving six months ago, the driver became familiar with the streets. He learned how to drive, got his driver’s license and bought a cell phone. He then escaped and stole everything in the driver’s room. He broke the agreement between him and the sponsor knowing he would not be held accountable when he escapes. He also knew that if he were caught then he would be deported without anyone questioning his actions.
The sponsor went to the Passport Department to report the driver missing. When he asked officials to put a stop to the problem he was experiencing, officials told him it was their job to receive absconded workers and then deport them and that the sponsor had to provide the air ticket and pay any outstanding salaries if there were any. They also told him that they would call him if they found the absconded worker.
The sponsor went to the Expatriate Department and found a large number of runway workers. He asked the officials to search for his driver in case he was inside. The workers were standing in a line like criminals do in movies. At the end, when the sponsor could not find the driver he was asked to give the driver’s details and was told he should check in three months’ time. In the meantime, he was also told that if the driver were found then they would call him.
Runaway drivers are a problem that many Saudis are experiencing these days. Who is responsible for them? Is it the Labor Ministry or the Labor Recruitment Offices? The Expatriate Department says their job is to merely receive runaway drivers and then deport them. Who will compensate the sponsors e?
There are other problems that families go through when drivers abscond. This relates to finding someone to drive children to and from school. Families with no male guardians are suffering a lot because of this and something needs to be done quickly.
The question remains unanswered: Who is responsible? Is it the Passport Department, the Labor Office, or the Saudi citizen who hires foreign workers and then sets them loose so they can earn money working illegally?
