Saudi couple deported for violating visa rules

JEDDAH: A Saudi groom and his bride were banned from entering the European Union after they were deported by Germany for security reasons.
Local newspapers said German police considered the couple a security threat after they skipped France in their travel itinerary and landed in Frankfurt.
They said the couple had obtained a Schengen visa from the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia, allowing them to visit most EU countries.
“The German police said that the couple violated the rules by traveling straight to Frankfurt. They said the rules stipulate that they must make France their first destination since the visa was granted by the French,” Ajel daily said, adding that the man and his wife were deported from Frankfurt to Dammam.
The paper quoted Abdullah Al-Muajjeil, citizens’ affairs director at the Saudi Consulate in Frankfurt, as saying it was not the first of its kind case involving Saudis.
“We have received many similar cases resulting from our people’s ignorance and their failure to check the rules before traveling,” he said. “In such cases, we cannot do anything to help our people because this is a violation of the rules in the EU.”