JEDDAH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) was recently able to resolve the predicament of a Saudi widow, who, having returned to the Kingdom from Iraq 10 years ago, was unable to secure iqamas (residence permits) for her three sons fathered by her late Iraqi husband.
The woman said she illegally entered Saudi Arabia 10 years ago and applied for iqamas for her sons. The woman added that she tried several means to get her sons stay in the Kingdom regularized.
She initially applied to the Interior Ministry but since her children did not have passports, she was forced to wait a long time while they were issued passports. She then approached the ministry but was told that her application was destroyed because it was submitted a long time ago and that she had not followed it up.
The woman then applied again. However, this time her application, instead of going to the Passport Department, ended up elsewhere.
Finally, the woman, who was eager to enroll her sons in school and was unable to do so due to lack of proper documentation, approached the NSHR, whose intervention led to iqamas being issued to her sons.
