Egypt calls for 'friendly solution' to crisis over 32 fishermen barred from leaving Saudi Arabia

Egypt called for a “friendly solution” to the crisis over 32 Egyptian fishermen who have been barred from leaving Saudi Arabia for around six months following a disagreement with their Saudi employer.

Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram said on Wednesday in a press statement that she “communicated with the Egyptian fishermen in Saudi Arabia” after receiving calls of distress from them and their families.

The fishermen have decided to stage a sit-in at the Egyptian embassy’s headquarters in Riyadh.

The minister also “communicated with the Saudi employer personally in an attempt to reach a friendly solution between the two sides to end the crisis.”

Makram added that the Saudi “kafeel”, or sponsor, insisted during the call on having a financial compensation from the fishermen in return for the losses that he allegedly incurred as a result of their strike and their abstaining from work.

Saudi laws require expatriate workers to obtain approval from their employers before leaving Saudi Arabia, and in many cases employers keep hold of employees’ passports.

She promised the fishermen and their families to work with concerned bodies toward resolving their problem. On the other hand, the fishermen stresses that they won’t leave the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh until they are allowed to return to their country.

According to the minister’s statement, the fishermen accuse their employer of failing to provide suitable housing for them, in addition to violating an “unsigned” agreement between them and their employer stipulating that he would offer them a percentage of profits, which prompted them to hold a strike.