Thousands of air-conditioned tents stand empty in Saudi Arabia

No refugees are allowed to stay in the tents that could accommodate 3 million refugees

Saudi Arabia is currently on the hot seat, receiving criticism for refusing to take in Syrian refugees. It was revealed this weekend they have 100,000 empty air-conditioned tents that can house three million refugees.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - According to a report by the news station Telesur, the empty tents are used for only a few days every year to house pilgrims on their way to Mecca for the hajj, which is a religious pilgrimage mandatory for Muslims and must happen at least once in their lifetime for all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of making the journey. 

The tents are located 2,150 miles from Syria in the city of Mina. What's more, these tents are fireproof and are each equipped with kitchen and bathroom facilities. 

While Europe is struggling to make space for the millions of incoming migrants, Saudi Arabia has been reportedly unresponsive to the crisis. 

Although there are 500,000 Syrians currently living in Saudi Arabia, they are not categorized as asylum seekers, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is also unknown when the said Syrians arrived in Saudi Arabia. 

Refugees are also turned away from Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. There aren't any Gulf countries who have signed the U.N. Convention on Refugees, which would standardize the treatment of people migrating to other countries.

Saudi Arabia officials expressed their belief that they have done their part in helping refugees by allowing them residency in their country but they are just "not bragging about it." 

According to a Reuters report, a Saudi spokesperson was quoted saying, "[The Kingdom] was keep to not deal with them as refugees or to put them in refugee camps." He added that they chose to "preserve their dignity and safety and gave them complete freedom of movement."

The country's representative also stated their officials will be providing 200 new mosques in Germany to accommodate Muslim refugees and that they have already donated $700 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians. 

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online