Speaking at a TV program on Saudi 4shbab satellite TV, Abdulwahab Al-Majthal said, “ during the past 25 years we have been having problems with Ethiopian workers in south of Saudi Arabia and we have always seen them using knife and cleavers in their crimes, until, prince Mohammad Bin Nayef, the interior minister, and some other princes stepped forward and cleared the country in just 15 days”.

“Are Ethiopian workers really miserable? Are those who commit crimes such as smuggling arms and drugs, killing and fornication are miserable?” he said.

He then went on to say that, “I recommend the Saudi authorities to cut off Ethiopian workers ears before expelling them, as the UAE did, to teach others a lesson to learn”.

Ethipian workers have held several demonstrations against violation of their rights by Saudi government.

On November 12, the Saudi police killed three Ethiopian migrant workers in the impoverished neighborhood of Manfuhah in the capital, Riyadh, where thousands of African workers, mostly Ethiopians, were waiting for buses to take them to deportation centers.

Saudi authorities launched a visa crackdown on undocumented foreign workers in November. Since that time, several foreign workers have been killed by the Saudi police and many others imprisoned.

Foreign workers, especially Ethiopians, are facing beatings, torture, rape, abuse and death in Saudi Arabia.

They cannot change jobs or leave Saudi Arabia without the permission of their sponsors, who are often Saudi companies or individuals who provide workers to businesses for profit.

Most of the sponsors take away the passports of the workers for the duration of their contract.

Human rights groups have criticized Saudi Arabia over the condition of migrant workers in the kingdom and called on Riyadh to abolish the sponsorship system for migrant workers.

SHI/SHI