Arab expat threatens suicide on radio over visa

Dubai: A young Arab expatriate spoke out on a live radio show, about his urge to commit suicide after failed attempts to get his family to Qatar for the past three years, according to the The Peninsula.

The young man gave his name as Abu Adil and said he was 33 years old and was born in Doha. Calling in the program ‘Good Morning, Qatar!’ of Qatar Radio he said: “I have been submitting all required documents to obtain family visa since 2008, but in vain.”

He added “I have even been producing six-month bank statements showing salary transfers and all other required documents for family visa and I fulfill all eligibility conditions, but it’s proven pointless”.

The anchor of the program, possibly hearing such a threat being made publicly for teh first time, was shocked and asked the caller to calm down and urged the authorities concerned to look again into his file and consider his plea for family visa.

The man said he submitted the necessary documents to acquire visa for his wife and children for the first time in 2008, then in 2009 and again last year.

“My family visa application has been rejected each time and the recruitment committee (at the Ministry of Labour) has been refusing to give me any reasons for the rejection,” Abu Adil told Qatar Radio.

The Peninsula spoke to a prominent lawyer, Yusuf Al Zaman, on the issue who said making such a threat publicly is a crime under Qatar’s law.

“The man can be detained by the law-enforcement agencies for interrogation and the matter can be referred to court for trial,” he was quoted saying.

The call has led to heated debate at various social forums. Some commentators said if the man were ‘blue-eyed’ (a reference to Westerners) he would have been immediately allowed to sponsor his family.

Many wondered why Qatari authorities were ignoring the man's application, “There is a yawning imbalance in the male-female ratio here, so it’s better if an expatriate who is actually entitled to a family visa is allowed the privilege,” some people said.

Others said that if the Labour Ministry has fixed uniform eligibility conditions for expatriates to sponsor their families, why should Abu Adil be denied the privilege if he is actually entitled.

Also some commentators argued if he brought his family here it would benefit the local economy since he would be spending much of his income locally.

“This shows how people have turned desperate here,” said a man talking about Abu Adil and his quest to bring his family.

The Peninsula contacted a senior official of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), when asked to comment on the issue, he said he hadn’t heard of it and so couldn’t comment.

“I think the matter is between the man and the authorities concerned. Maybe the man is not submitting the necessary documents,” the official said.