National Documentation Packages (NDPs) are lists of public documents that provide information about conditions in specific countries. Updates occur periodically based on publicly available information. Countries with high volumes of claims may be updated more frequently. In periods of rapid change and/or uncertainty, updates may be delayed to build a body of relevant information.
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Jurisprudential Guides Notes
Jurisprudential Guides Notes
On
July 28, 2022, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide:
-
Decision TC1 05038 – The proper interpretation of the ‘generalized risk’ exception to protection found at subparagraph 97(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, in claims for protection involving allegations of gang-targeting or other acts of criminality.
On
December 22, 2020, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision MB8-00025 – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses, in applying Article 1E of the Refugee Convention, whether members should consider allegations of risk in a country of residence if they conclude that a refugee claimant has the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of nationality in that country.
On
July 6, 2018, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision TB7-19851 – Nigeria – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses internal flight alternatives in major cities in south and central Nigeria for claimants fleeing non-state actors.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 10, 2018.
On
July 20, 2017, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being
Jurisprudential Guides.
-
Decision TB7-01837 – Pakistan – Whether the treatment experienced by Ahmadis in Pakistan amounts to persecution, whether state protection is available and whether there is a viable internal flight alternative.
-
Decision MB6-01059/60 – India – Availability of an internal flight alternative in India for claimants from Punjab.
Revoked
-
Decision TB6-11632 – China – Analysis of the efficacy of the Chinese national computer network known as the Golden Shield Project and its impact on whether a person wanted by the authorities can exit China via an airport using a genuine passport.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 20, 2017.
Back
29 March 2019
SAUDI ARABIA
List of Documents
1.
General Information and Maps
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Accessed Date:
25 October 2013
Keywords:
map; transport infrastructure
Title:
Arabie saoudite - Bahreïn - Émirats arabes unis - Oman - Qatar - Yémen. L'Encyclopédie en ligne.
Accessed Date:
30 November 2016
Title:
Saudi Arabia. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
14 February 2019
Accessed Date:
22 February 2019
Title:
Overview, Domestic Issues. Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations
Source:
United States. Congressional Research Service.
Date of Document:
21 September 2018
Author:
Christopher M. Blanchard
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific, 2016.
Source:
United States. Social Security Administration.
Date of Document:
March 2017
Accessed Date:
9 February 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
13 March 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International Report 2017/2018: The State of the World's Human Rights.
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
22 February 2018
Accessed Date:
26 February 2018
Title:
National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/31/SAU/1
Source:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Date of Document:
20 August 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Freedom in the World 2019.
Accessed Date:
26 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. World Report 2019: Events of 2018.
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
January 2019
Accessed Date:
21 February 2019
Title:
Summary of stakeholders' submissions on Saudi Arabia
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/31/SAU/3
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
24 August 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Compilation on Saudi Arabia
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/31/SAU/2
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
30 August 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia: New Counterterrorism Law Enables Abuse
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
23 November 2017
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Condemned to silence: the situation of women human rights defenders.
Source:
International Federation for Human Rights; World Organization Against Torture
Date of Document:
January 2018
Accessed Date:
21 February 2018
3.
Identification Documents and Citizenship
Title:
Rights of non-citizens born in Saudi Arabia to non-citizen Saudi-born parents, including residency, employment, education and access to social services; whether a non-citizen can return to Saudi Arabia after the 'Return Before' date on their ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
19 May 2015
Accessed Date:
9 October 2015
Keywords:
citizenship; labour; social services
Title:
Situation of Bidoons, including ability to obtain a passport; whether a person born to a Saudi mother and Bidoon father can obtain Saudi citizenship, and would be issued a Saudi passport as a minor (2014-June 2016)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
6 June 2016
Accessed Date:
28 November 2016
Title:
Circumstances under which the government revokes citizenship, including effect on children and spouses; possibility of reobtaining citizenship (2014-September 2016)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
3 November 2016
Accessed Date:
28 November 2016
Title:
Saudi Arabian Citizenship System
Accessed Date:
9 February 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates: Work and residence permits; citizenship rights for children born to Syrians in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
13 August 2014
Accessed Date:
28 August 2014
Keywords:
children; gender equality; identity documents; nationality
Title:
Saudi Arabian Investor Class Visas: An Overview. Explanatory Note No. 6/2014.
Source:
Migration Policy Center; Gulf Research Center
Accessed Date:
9 February 2018
Title:
Residency permits through sponsorship, including the foreigner's family members eligible to be sponsored; the process for a sponsor to revoke their sponsorship and whether the foreigner receives documention that the sponsorship has been ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
23 January 2019
Accessed Date:
26 February 2019
Title:
Range of documents and information available to an individual through the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website; information required in order to access personal information through government websites (2015-December 2018)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
15 January 2019
Accessed Date:
26 February 2019
4.
Political Activities and Organizations
Title:
I. Political Transformation. Transformation Index 2018 Country Report: Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Civic Freedom Monitor: Saudi Arabia
Source:
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Date of Document:
7 January 2019
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
5.
Gender, Domestic Violence and Children
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Social Institutions and Gender Index 2019.
Source:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Date of Document:
1 January 2018
Accessed Date:
14 February 2019
Title:
Boxed In: Women and Saudi Arabia's Male Guardianship System.
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
16 July 2016
Accessed Date:
7 November 2016
Title:
Concluding observations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports of Saudi Arabia
Source:
United Nations. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Date of Document:
14 March 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia: Detained Women Reported Tortured
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
20 November 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Hollow Words, Empty Reforms: Saudi Arabia's Effective Refusal to Reform Women's Rights
Source:
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain; Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
Date of Document:
8 June 2017
Accessed Date:
9 February 2018
Title:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Gender Justice and the Law
Source:
United Nations Development Programme et al.
Date of Document:
December 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. State-Sponsored Homophobia 2017: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition.
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
May 2017
Author:
Aengus Carroll; Lucas Ramón Mendos
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
Title:
Situation of homosexuals, including laws, their treatment by society and government authorities, and the organizations available to assist them
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
11 August 2011
Accessed Date:
22 November 2012
Keywords:
legislation; sexual minorities
Title:
La situation des minorités sexuelles et de genre
Source:
France. Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides.
Date of Document:
30 September 2016
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
7.
Criminality and Corruption
Title:
Saudi Arabia: Tier 2 Watch List. Trafficking in Persons Report 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
June 2018
Accessed Date:
20 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. 2018 Crime and Safety Report: Riyadh.
Source:
United States. Overseas Security Advisory Council.
Date of Document:
27 June 2018
Accessed Date:
22 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. 2018 Crime and Safety Report: Jeddah.
Source:
United States. Overseas Security Advisory Council.
Date of Document:
11 June 2018
Accessed Date:
22 February 2019
8.
Military Service - (No items in this section)
9.
Judiciary, Legal and Penal Systems
Title:
Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Saudi Arabia.
Source:
United Nations. Committee against Torture.
Date of Document:
8 June 2016
Accessed Date:
7 November 2016
Title:
Silenced Voices: Judicial targeting of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia
Source:
Gulf Center for Human Rights
Date of Document:
April 2016
Accessed Date:
7 November 2016
10.
Police and Security Forces - (No items in this section)
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Freedom of the Press 2017.
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Freedom on the Net 2018.
Date of Document:
October 2018
Accessed Date:
30 November 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia. International Religious Freedom Report for 2017.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
29 May 2018
Accessed Date:
21 February 2019
Title:
Saudi Arabia. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Annual Report 2018.
Source:
United States. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Date of Document:
April 2018
Accessed Date:
21 February 2019
Title:
“They Are Not Our Brothers”: Hate Speech by Saudi Officials
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
26 September 2017
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
Title:
Saudi Arabia. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples.
Source:
Minority Rights Group International
Date of Document:
March 2018
Accessed Date:
21 February 2019
Title:
Voice for the Voiceless: Religious and Cultural Discrimination in Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain; The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
Date of Document:
February 2017
Accessed Date:
13 February 2018
13.
Nationality, Ethnicity and Race
Title:
Treatment of racial minorities, particularly black African Saudi nationals, by society and authorities (2012-2013)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
16 January 2014
Accessed Date:
26 October 2015
Keywords:
crime; ethnic and national groups; extralegal executions/killings; judicial efficacy; labour; minorities; police efficacy; police/security forces; race; religion
Title:
Residence status of foreign husbands married to Saudi women and children born to foreign fathers and Saudi mothers, including access to employment, education, health care and other services, and the ability to travel in and out of the...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
31 January 2018
Accessed Date:
14 February 2018
Title:
Concluding observations on the combined fourth to ninth periodic reports of Saudi Arabia
Source:
United Nations. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Date of Document:
8 June 2018
Accessed Date:
21 February 2019
14.
Exit/Entry and Freedom of Movement
Title:
Exit procedures and documents required for resident foreigners who leave the country; exit visas and their appearance; whether the Iqama is cancelled when a resident leaves the country; whether someone holding a valid Iqama can return to the country after leaving; whether foreign workers who are forced to retire can remain in the country.
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
15 January 2016
Accessed Date:
28 November 2016
Title:
Palestine and Saudi Arabia: Residence status of stateless Palestinians, including access to employment, education, health care and other services, and the ability to travel in and out of the country; requirements and procedures to renew...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
14 November 2017
Accessed Date:
26 April 2018
15.
Labour, Employment and Unions - (No items in this section)
16.
Other - (No items in this section)
The following changes have been made to the previous package dated 28 February 2019:
Title:
Saudi Arabia. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
20 April 2018
URL:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=277263
Accessed Date:
23 April 2018
Disclaimer
National Documentation Packages (NDPs) include country-of-origin information that is publicly accessible at the time of publication and available within time constraints. While the Research Directorate strives to maintain the
NDP with current information, the research is not exhaustive and country conditions can change rapidly. Members of the public are invited to
suggest documents they feel are relevant to the
NDP.
NDPs are not, and do not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Rather, they are intended to support the refugee determination process. The assessment and weight to be given to the information in the
NDPs are the responsibility of independent
IRB members (decision-makers) after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties.
All sources are fully cited, including a hyperlink, to facilitate the location of the information. The
IRB will attempt to ensure that these links are maintained for the most recent
NDP. It cannot guarantee or be responsible for:
- the functionality of links to external sources,
- the content accessed by these links,
- the availability of external content in both English and French,
- any other part of a third party website.
The information presented in
NDPs solely reflects the views and perspectives of the sources cited and does not necessarily reflect the position of the
IRB or the Government of Canada.