Saudis may hit back at US 'discrimination'
By Robin Allen in Dubai
(Note: Anyone know what the immigration rules are now for Americans who are going to Saudi?? Can we currently go wherever we please??? Are we totally unrestricted there???)
Published: October 13 2002 21:17 | Last Updated: October 13 2002 22:15
news.ft.com
The Saudi government is fighting bureacracy with bureacracy. Officials say it may start fingerprinting US nationals visiting the country if stringent measures adopted by US immigration authorities earlier this month are applied to Saudi citizens.
Other retaliatory measures being considered if more evidence comes to light of discrimination against Saudis by the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) could include charging US citizens more in visa fees and shortening the duration of their visas, officials in Riyadh said on Sunday.
Analysts said the Saudi reaction reflected growing frustration with the US after more than a year in which the partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly called into question by some senior members of the US administration and by many more in Congress.
Anger has been fuelled by reports of active discrimination against Saudis following the introduction last year of the USA Patriot Act, which tightened immigration rules.
The US laws, which went into effect at all points of entry on October 1, do not specifically refer to Saudi Arabia, only to nationals from five states - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria. Nationals from these states between the ages of 16-45 have to undergo digital fingerprinting and photographing.
They could be asked to provide US immigration officers with detailed information on their travel plans. If they want to stay in the US for more than 30 days, they have to appear at a local immigration office for an interview. If they change their place of residence, they must also notify US authorities within 10 days.
Many Saudis complain these restrictions already apply to them in practice. Critics say that they are new, not only in their severity, but also in the subjective way they are applied, and are perceived to work, against Saudis in particular and Muslims in general.
Since September 11 2001, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia had already stiffened visa procedures for Saudi citizens, including students. All visa applicants had been required to appear for personal interviews. Saudi women, who are required to wear a veil in public, were reminded by the US embassy to submit photographs without the traditional head-covering. |
