Sa'udi Policies Towards Migrants and Refugees: A Sacred Duty

A Sacred Duty; sets out the Kingdom's policy toward the global issue of migrants and refugees, with special emphasis directed toward Muslim societies. Discussion focuses on refugee communities currently living in Sa'udi Arabia, some of which migrated due to war, forced displacement, environmental catastrophe, and economic hardship. Some migrants have come from bordering countries such as Iraq and Yemen; others reached the Arabian Peninsula from Africa and Asia. All have been welcomed and cared for, though settlement conditions, repatriation, and deportation circumstances were not always ideal. Inevitably, and mirroring experience elsewhere in the world, there are undeniable gulfs between policies and practices. Policy shortcomings are measured against the substantive assistance planks that Riyadh espouses, including providing financial aid to refugees in third countries, over and above United Nations' appeals. These acts are done without prejudice and mostly without publicity. Aid to the needy is justified by religious obligations, as well as on humanitarian grounds. Sa'udi Arabia's aid contributions have generally been either overlooked or dismissed, and the religious foundations of their commitment to displaced populations has been negatively contrasted against human-rights based commitments espoused by Western states and institutions. Sa'udi Policies towards Migrants and Refugees; addresses these concerns, filling a key gap in the literature on a vital policy topic. The book refutes notions that the country discourages open research on sensitive topics and further dispels the prejudiced idea of a society closed to any kind of external influence. Sa'udi Arabia's granting of hospitality to refugees reinforces historic, tribal, and universal norms in contrast to misplaced notions of hostility toward Western standards, which in the case of migrants and refugees has seen the application of confused and alarming standards of behavior by a plethora of Western states. Cover Title page Copyright Contents Acknowledgments List of Tables and Graphs A Note on Transliteration Introduction Conflicts, Wars and Refugees The Experiences and Policies of Sa‘udi Arabia Definitions Structure of the Book 1. A Theoretical Perspective on Migration A Glance at International Migration Theories of International Migration Migration Theories: A Classification Analysis of Migration Theories Neo-classical Theory The New Economics of Labor Migration (NELM) Dual Labor Market Theory Network Theory Migration System Theory Institutional Theory Cumulative Causation Theory The 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocols International Migration and Globalization Conclusion: Adopting a Multidisciplinary Approach 2. Sa‘udi Policies towards Refugees Critics of Sa‘udi Migration Initiatives Discrimination and Human Rights Violations Gender Discrimination in Sa‘udi Arabia’s Nationality Law Stateless Communities in Sa‘udi Arabia The Bidun The Rohingya The Palestinians Migration Regulations Conclusion: A Flexible and Dutiful Approach 3. Hijrah, Zakat, and Refugees Religious Obligations Hijrah and Asylum Refugee Convention and Shari‘ah Law Alternatives to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol Religious Norms and Obligations The case of Rashid ‘Ali al-Kilani Muslim Brotherhood Refugees Burmese Refugees in Sa‘udi Arabia Iraqi Refugees and the Rafhah Camp Experiment Syrian Refugees Conclusion: Obligations as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques 4. The Concept of Zakat and Foreign Aid From Development to Humanitarian Assistance Zakat and Foreign Aid Sa‘udi Foreign Aid: Humanitarian and Economic Assistance Sa‘udi Foreign Aid Before and After 1973 The Sa‘udi Fund for Development King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief and Works Humanitarian Assistance to Yemen Conclusion: Aid as Religious Obligation 5. Pilgrimage and Migration Dilemmas African Migrants and Sa‘udi Arabia Annual Pilgrimage Dilemmas An Examination of the Methodology and Data Analysis The Migration Processes Smuggling Overstaying an ‘Umrah or Hajj Visa Breaking a Work Contract Undocumented ‘Migrants’ Born in Jiddah African Migrants in Sa‘udi Arabia Issues Related to Working Conditions Legal Issues Facing Undocumented Laborers in Sa‘udi Arabia Plans for the Future Amnesty Initiatives Nitaqat and Deportation Laws Conclusion: Pilgrimage Dilemmas 6. The Kingdom and Yemen How Neighbors Became Refugees Contemporary Sa‘udi–Yemeni Ties The Free-Flow of Migrants Yemeni Workers in Sa‘udi Arabia Undocumented Yemeni Entries and Smuggling Operations Riyadh’s Humanitarian Assistance Sa‘udi Amnesty Policies vis-à-vis the Yemen Consequences of the Huthi Takeover (2015–2018) Conclusion: De-escalation Efforts 7. Syrian Refugees in Sa‘udi Arabia Integration Rather than Confinement The Making of a Catastrophe: Millions of Refugees The 2011 Uprisings Controversies Over Casualties Demographic Transformations in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Syrian Refugees in Jordan Syrian Refugees in Iraq Syrian Refugees in Turkey Impact of Regional Refugees on Sa‘udi Arabia GCC States and Syrian Refugees Integration of Syrians Within the Kingdom Conclusion: Continuing Warfare, Ongoing Assistance 8. The Refugee Challenge for Sa‘udi Arabia and the Muslim World Appendices 1. Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights 1981 2. African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981) 3. Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam 1990 4. Arab Charter on Human Rights (1994) 5. Gender Discrimination in Sa‘udi Arabia’s Nationality Law 6. Royal Decree Number 56660 issued on 13/11/1436 [26 September 2015] 7. Combatting Trafficking in Persons in Accordance with the Principles of Islamic Law [Excerpts] Notes Bibliography Index About the Authors Back Cover