Months after Saudi Arabia pledged to investigate inhuman and degrading conditions inside immigration detention centres, a new report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) shows that “little has changed”. The conditions inside Saudi Arabia’s immigration detention centres have been criticised for many years, with reports of abuse, migrant trafficking, and overcrowding in the country’s facilities.
According to HRW’s new report, the conditions in detention centres where migrant workers are held are so degrading that “they amount to ill-treatment”. HRW spoke to several migrants incarcerated in a deportation centre in Riyadh. The migrants are held in overcrowded rooms for extended periods, kept in extremely unsanitary conditions, and some have been beaten and tortured by guards. As a result of beatings, there have been allegations that three migrants have died in custody. HRW stated that the appalling conditions, and allegations of torture and unlawful killings are “shocking”, “as is the apparent unwillingness of the authorities to do anything to investigate conditions of abuse and hold those responsible to account”.
DETENTION OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN SAUDI ARABIA
There are an estimated 10 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, most of whom work across the energy and service sectors. In the last few years Saudi Arabia has been cracking down on undocumented migrants, which included “major arrest campaigns” beginning in November 2013 and August 2017. Between May 2017 and March 2019, around 10,000 Ethiopians were deported from Saudi Arabia every month, typically for being found without valid residency permits. Many migrants have claimed that they were given no opportunity to challenge their deportation.
The detention of migrants in “deplorable” conditions is a longstanding problem. In November 2020, HRW spoke to nine migrants: seven Ethiopian migrants currently detained in Riyadh, and two Indian men who were detained in the same facility before they were deported. According to those interviewed, the majority of people held in the centres are Ethiopian. However, there are also a number of Chadians, Ghanaians, Kenyans, Nigerians, and Somalis. Asian people, including Indians and Pakistanis, are held in separate rooms.
None of those interviewed had been given the opportunity to challenge their detention, including those with valid residency permits. HRW notes that prolonged detention without access to judicial review is prohibited under International Law. One of the Indian men interviewed said that he had a valid residency permit, and had been working as an engineer for 25 years in Saudi Arabia. After being accused of selling vegetables, he was arrested, detained, and deported.
INHUMAN AND DEGRADING CONDITIONS
Detainees in Riyadh are held in cramped conditions, with up to 350 people kept in one room for prolonged periods. As there is not enough room to all lie down at the same time, detainees must take it in turns to sleep. There are between two and five working toilets shared between up to 350 people. There is reportedly no access to showers facilities or soap, leaving detainees to use the water from taps above squat toilets for bathing. Only unclean blankets have been provided. Video footage and photos taken from inside the centre corroborated the witness accounts, showing hundreds of men in a cramped room with large piles of rubbish and debris in the corner.
COVID-19
Due to the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, “social distancing and hygienic living is impossible,” leaving detainees at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Those interviewed said that beyond having their temperature taken upon arrival at the centre, no measures had been taken to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19. Authorities have reportedly made no attempt to protect those at high risk, including those who are older or individuals with underlying health conditions.
HRW notes that a number of migrants have raised concerns about contracting COVID-19, and some have observed other detainees showing symptoms of COVID-19.
TORTURE AND UNLAWFUL KILLINGS
All of those interviewed accused the guards of assault against them or other detainees. The detainees described how guards would beat them with rubber-coated metal rods. The detainees further described verbal abuse by guards, which included racial slurs and threats. According to those interviewed, such violence usually occurred when detainees asked for medical attention or complained about the conditions in which they are kept.
These beatings have allegedly led to the unlawful killing of three detainees between October and November 2020. According to one of the detainees who claimed to have witnessed the unlawful killings, two of the detainees were beaten so badly that they died immediately as a result of their injuries; and the third detainee died of his injuries two hours later. The majority of those interviewed said that they had seen people, who were badly beaten by the guards, being taken out of the detention room and never returned.
CONCLUSION
Saudi Arabia “has no excuse” for detaining migrant workers in these inhuman and degrading conditions. HRW urged Saudi authorities to immediately end any torture and other ill-treatment, and ensure the drastic improvement of detention conditions. Going forward, detention conditions must meet international standards. In addition, Saudi authorities should take measures to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak and provide immediate medical assistance to ill or injured detainees. The most vulnerable detainees should be immediately released.
HRW implores the Saudi government to investigate allegations of abuse and unlawful killings at their detention centres, and “appropriately discipline or prosecute those found responsible”. HRW further calls on the “Governments with nationals inside the facility” to “pressure the authorities and do all they can to facilitate voluntary repatriation”. In future, detention should only be used as a measure of last resort, and the Saudi authorities should ensure that detention conditions and procedures comply with international standards.
Shannon is an LLB Law with Politics graduate from Queen's University Belfast. Since graduating she has worked for Allen & Overy LLP, where she sits on the Pro Bono Committee. As the Project Coordinator for A&O's Pro Bono partnership with the AIRE Centre, she facilitates a letter writing initiative in order to promote awareness of legal rights and assist people in vulnerable circumstances to assert those rights.