Country Advice Chad Chad – TCD38688 – Saudi resident permits – Chadian civil war – Gorane and Zaghawa ethnic groups – Attack on Adre in April 2006 – Chadian refugees in Cameroon – Current security situation in Chad 3 June 2011 1. Please confirm that all new residents to Saudi Arabia have fingerprints taken on first entry. Saudi Arabia requires all non-Saudi residents to be fingerprinted in order to obtain residence permits (Iqamas), to transfer sponsorship and to request other passport services. This requirement was introduced in May 2008.1 The Saudi Embassy in Washington DC website advises that fingerprints of new arrivals are taken at entry points such as airports and sea ports.2 Sources located on expatriate forums indicate that fingerprints are taken electronically.3 Holders of Iqamas already resident in Saudi Arabia were required to attend designated centres (or mobile fingerprinting units) to have their fingerprints taken.4 2. Are there any reports of the fingerprinting system being compromised/bribery occurring? No information was located specifically relating to the compromising of the Saudi fingerprinting scheme by corrupt officials. It is noted that the Saudi government, in addition to external observers, has acknowledged that corruption is a major problem in Saudi Arabia.5 In 2011, the Saudi government established an anti-corruption commission to investigate instances of corruption.6 The September 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published by anti-corruption coalition Transparency International, placed Saudi Arabia as the most corrupt Gulf country 1 Aziz S. 2009, „Huge rush for fingerprinting as school holidays near‟, The Saudi Gazette, 21 May http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009052138555 - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 1. 2 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Washington D.C. 2010, „Finger printing required for residence permits beginning April 15‟ 19 March http://www.saudiembassy.net/latest_news/news03191001.aspx - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 2. 3 British Expats Forum 2009, „Iqama Requirement‟ 30 October http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8059730 - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 3. 4 Humaidan M. 2009, „Saudi Arabia: More mobile units eyed to ease fingerprinting rush‟, Arab News, 27 May, Menafn.com website http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093250719 - Accessed 2 June 2011 - Attachment 4. 5 Trust Law, undated, Anti-corruption profile - Saudi Arabia, http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/country-profiles/good- governance.dot?id=d8f340e0-8849-4e3b-9c8d-97292748753e - Accessed 2 June 2011 - Attachment 5. 6 Abdul Ghafour P. 2011, „Kingdom intensifies war on corruption‟, Arab News website, 7 May http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article386460.ece - Accessed 31 May 2011 – Attachment 6. Page 1 of 17 with a score of 3.4. The index ranks the degree of public sector corruption as perceived by business people and country analysts between zero and 10, with 10 being the least corrupt.7 3. Information about residency permits in Saudi Arabia for Chad Nationals? What is the usual term? Would it expire if a Chad national had left Saudi Arabia for over six months? No information was found indicating that residency permit regulations were different for Chadian nationals in comparison to other foreigners; nonetheless, sources indicated that Chadian nationals were treated differently to other expatriates resident in Saudi Arabia. In September 2006, Human Rights Watch published a report stating that the Saudi government had stopped renewing the residency permits of all Chadian citizens in Saudi Arabia.8 This report further noted that under Saudi naturalisation laws, “it is nearly impossible for Chadians to acquire Saudi citizenship because they generally do not fulfil the educational and financial requirements.”9 Residency permits for Saudi Arabia (Iqama) are issued through the Ministry for the Interior.10 The Saudi government portal advises that the Iqama is valid for either one or two years.11 According to the Saudi government portal, a number of requirements must be met for an Iqama to be issued for the first time. These are: 1. The Passport (for Non-Saudi) bearing a visa isued by a Saudi embassy abroad. 2. Copy of The Passport (for Non-Saudi) 3. 2 Colour Personal Photos for Beneficiary 4. Business License 5. A Copy of Business License 6. A Medical Report for service professions (cookers & Drivers) 7. Payment of the Charges 8. Filling the Residences (Iqama) Application form 9. The personal attendance 7 Transparency International 2007, 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index, undated, http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2007 - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 7. 8 Human Rights Watch 2006, Saudi Arabia: Chadians Barred From Schools, Hospitals, 6 September http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/09/06/saudi-arabia-chadians-barred-schools-hospitals - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 8. 9 Human Rights Watch 2006, Saudi Arabia: Chadians Barred From Schools, Hospitals, 6 September http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/09/06/saudi-arabia-chadians-barred-schools-hospitals - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 8. 10 Pinoy Abroad website 2003, Saudi Arabia Overview, 19 June, http://www.pinoy- abroad.net/img_upload/9bed2e6b0cc5701e4cef28a6ce64be3d/Saudi_Arabia_OVERVIEW.pdf - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 9. 11 Saudi National Government e-Portal, undated, General Department of Passport: Iqama, http://www.saudi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3iTMGenYE8TIwMLt0BzA89 gIyMfVw8TI39TY6B8JJK8u6-jBVA-OCQwMNDd0MDQnBLdRhTpDjYgRrcBDuCIqhvVbHcLE7x2g- Tx2x0OCmf84YZP3oiAPMjvIHk8vvPzyM9N1S_IDQWCCINMT11HAPm2Pug!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQn Z3LzZfNFZDQlNJNDIwR01BODBJU1NUUVFRRzFHODQ!/?orgid=General+Department+of+Passport&srvid=Iq ama&catid=Search - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 10. Page 2 of 17 10. An authorization on ordinary paper 11. An authorization on sample form12 It is noted that personal attendance at the applicant‟s local embassy is mandatory for the issuance of an Iqama. A holder of an Iqama wishing to leave Saudi Arabia must have approval to leave from their sponsor, obtain an exit/re-entry visa, and return to the country within (a maximum of) seven months.13 The validity of a re-entry visa may be shorter than seven months and the duration is at the discretion of the business sponsor, and any extension up to the seven month maximum must be approved in writing by the sponsor. The duration of an exit-re-entry visa is measured from the date of the initial exit from Saudi Arabia.14 4. General information about Chad such as demographics, current government, and security situation. General Information The CIA world factbook gives the following information on Chad. Population: 10,758,945 (July 2011 est.) Ethnic Groups: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3% (1993 census)15 Chadian Civil War The current Chadian civil war began in 2005. Previously civil wars had been fought from the early 1960s to 1982 and from 1998 to 2002. At other times Chad had been involved in conflict with neighbours including Libya and Sudan. During the current civil war, the Chadian government has come under sustained military threat, particularly in the April 2008 attack on N‟Djamena which almost resulted in a combined force of two rebel armies taking the capital. A multi-national UN taskforce named MINURCAT16 was based in Chad from 25 September 2007 until 31 December 2010 when the mission was not renewed, primarily due to a lack of support from President Idriss Déby. Security 12 Saudi National Government e-Portal, undated, General Department of Passport: Iqama, http://www.saudi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3iTMGenYE8TIwMLt0BzA89 gIyMfVw8TI39TY6B8JJK8u6-jBVA-OCQwMNDd0MDQnBLdRhTpDjYgRrcBDuCIqhvVbHcLE7x2g- Tx2x0OCmf84YZP3oiAPMjvIHk8vvPzyM9N1S_IDQWCCINMT11HAPm2Pug!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQn Z3LzZfNFZDQlNJNDIwR01BODBJU1NUUVFRRzFHODQ!/?orgid=General+Department+of+Passport&srvid=Iq ama&catid=Search - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 10. 13 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Washington D.C. undated, „Exit / Re-Entry Visa‟, http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/exit_re_entry_visa.aspx - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 11. 14 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Washington D.C. undated, „Exit / Re-Entry Visa‟, http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/exit_re_entry_visa.aspx - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 11. 15 CIA World Factbook 2011, Chad, 17 May https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/cd.html - Accessed 2 June 2011 – Attachment 12. 16 Mission des Nations Unies en République Centrafricaine et au Tchad (United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad) Page 3 of 17 An October 2010 UN report, written under the auspices of the MINURCAT task force, noted an overall improvement in security in Chad over the previous three months.17 This was attributed to a range of factors including an unusually heavy rainy season, an improvement in the performance of Chadian military and security forces, and better relations between Chad and Sudan. At the end of 2010 MINURCAT completed its mandate and UN-sponsored troops were withdrawn from Chad. A May 2011 update noted that despite the ending of the MINURCAT mission, security in eastern Chad had not had an adverse effect on the security situation which, according to the report, had improved.18 The report cited the under-secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency