Jeddah: The kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to give residency permits (iqamas) to Four million Burmese Muslims who escaped their country under religious oppression.
A large number of Burmese citizens have been living in the Kingdom for more than 70 years. The Sheikh of the Burmese community in Makkah, Abu Alshamaa Abdulmajeed, praised the role of the Saudi government in assisting the Burmese community and supporting them as they resettled in the Kingdom.
The iqama will now allow them to access health facilities; educational facilities and job opportunities. Till date, 170,000 Burmese have received their iqamas
“Additionally, due to this new government move, students who are studying in schools run by charitable organizations will now have the opportunity to study in public schools from the primary to secondary stages,” said Abdulmajeed
He added. “The dream of returning to Burma has faded from the hearts of members of the community due to a lack of passports, especially as the Pakistani and Bangladeshi embassies have refused to grant them passports. The fear of prosecution and torture against Muslims also makes this dream impossible at this time.”