RIYADH, Jul 11 (Arab News): A Saudi man is threatening to sue the US Embassy in Riyadh for canceling his visa, something that led to him being mistreated by immigration officers in the US and then detained in prison before being flown back to the Kingdom.
The man, who asked his name not be published, left for the US after receiving his passport from the US Embassy with what he believed was a valid visa.
However, on arriving at Los Angeles airport, his passport was taken off him, he was mistreated by immigration officers and held in custody for 24 hours. He claimed he was moved to a county prison before being deported.
When asked for an explanation, Department of Homeland Security officials told him that there were no records of him being issued a visa.
On returning to the Kingdom, the man contacted the US Embassy in Riyadh, which told him that his visa had been canceled, something that he had not been informed of before he left for the US.
The man said there was no justification for the cancellation and that the embassy has been unable to give him a convincing answer. He has now contacted the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR).
Dr. Moflih Al-Qahtani, chairman of the NSHR, said the society wrote to the US Embassy seeking an explanation on June 9.
“We’re still waiting for the embassy’s response on this matter. As we have heard the story from only one side, in order for us to get to the bottom of it, we need to know the whole picture and understand why it happened,” said Al-Qahtani.
He added that if it is proven that the man’s rights have been infringed upon, the NSHR will take action.
In a statement to Arab News, the embassy said “that the United States, like Saudi Arabia, reserves the right to ensure the security of our borders” and that it “remains highly committed to facilitating visas for qualified travelers to the United States.”
The embassy also assured that it will “continue to work toward enhancing our services in this regard to meet the needs of the Saudi public and those resident in our consular district.”
An embassy spokesperson directed Arab News to the Department of Homeland Security for further comments, which was not possible due to the weekend.