Maid mafia becomes active with advent of Ramadan

By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: It is claimed that the rate of housemaids running away from their sponsors usually increases as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.

They escape as they are often able to command larger salaries of around SR2,500 per month, particularly because many Saudi families find it difficult to manage without a house help during the fasting month.

The pressing need for housemaids during Ramadan drives some families to employ illegal foreign maids, particularly in larger cities such as Jeddah, Riyadh and Makkah.

However, a housemaid who successfully escapes often gives her original sponsor the headache of having to recruit a replacement, which may cost as much as SR10,000 in addition to residence fees. Moreover, the maid might steal from the house before running away.

Citizen Muslih Al-Rifae said it was noticeable that a growing number of housemaids usually flee from their sponsors when Ramadan nears searching for better pay.

“The housemaids will continue to run away even if their sponsors are regularly paying them their monthly salaries,” he said.

Al-Rifae said many brokers from their native lands encourage the housemaids to escape for better payment during Ramadan. Most of these brokers hang around malls and supermarkets hunting for easy prey.

The brokers will offer a housemaid or driver a monthly salary of around SR2,500, in addition to accommodation and food. They then take around SR500 a month in commission.

Faisal Al-Matrafi called for crackdowns near malls and supermarkets to arrest runaway housemaids as well as the brokers.

Fawziyah G. said a possible solution was to install iron bars as well as electric curtains on windows and hide the apartment key away from the housemaids.

“Cameras may also be planted in various areas of the house to observe the movements of the housemaid 24/7,” she suggested.

Recruitment office owner Muhammad Al-Subhi said he was embarrassed whenever a housemaid ran away from her sponsor, especially as he has paid a lot of money to recruit her.

He also asked employers to be good to housemaids and treat them nicely.

“There are some Saudis who mistreat their housemaids, compelling them to run away,” he said.

Nasser Al-Subaie says he recruited a housemaid from Indonesia and paid a lot of money to cover her expenses. When she landed at King Abdulaziz International Airport immigration officials discovered that she could not enter the Kingdom as she had a criminal record.

“She was sent back home and I lost the money I had spent on her recruitment,” he said.

An official from the National Recruitment Committee at the Saudi Council of Chambers said Saudi embassies abroad would be connected to the same fingerprinting system currently in use at airports to prevent foreign recruits with criminal records from returning to the country.

Comments

ABDULLAH GHAMDI

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This probably occurs is a very small percentage of the thousands of maids employed. I wonder why dont you accurately report the abuse of maids, workers and very high rate of human right violations in KSA and the gulf. This is a hidden but a serious problem that is against the teachings of Islam.

BARRY

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This article could only be printed in Saudi Arabia. When will slavery really be abolished? Saudis can't handle Ramadan by themselves? How do all the other Muslims do it? You'll never be a developed country until you learn to do your own dishes, laundry, and mind your own kids (let alone raise them). Only in Saudi Arabia.

MARK

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House maids will never runaway if the employer will treat them nicely you will know a good employer ,maids stays with them 5years to 10 years no expatriats wants to runaway to sponsors becouse they knows that to runaway will create a difficult life to them here in kingdom,we heard most of them abused by sponsors relatives,they dont give enough food as they work 12 hours a day,some are not paying on time, what about their families,if they have kids,expatriats knows that if they runaway is a very big problems to them,they also scared but no choised as i know try to treat them like your family and they wont try to scape,if maids are happy working to your family 100%they will not runaway, if you go to the embassy try to ask the problems mostly the cause are problems to employers,please expatriats came here becouse they want to give a good life to their families,a good future to their kids,treat them like your sister or a member of your family aswell,you will see that they will not runaway,never ever, and ALLAH will bless your family

PETER WRIGHT

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Iron bars on windows....treat these girls like prisoners and what do you expect? Not to mention a possible manslaughter charge should a fire occur and they are unable to escape...camera's? Are they allowed no privacy? Fawziyah G sounds exactly like the type of person these employees are trying to escape from.

MOHAMMED FAIZAN

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Dear Brothers/Sisters,

I don't understand in Islamic society why cant you let everyone choose his own work and live freely and work freely . this is the only way to stop this about money you spend please try to understand these maids are human beings they are not animals. This is true may be you keep her very good but she dont want to carryon.To keep someone keeptive like in Jail is good . So release her .. If money to get visa is less it will be much easier and better for both the sides.

I pray to Allah please give everyone knowledge of true Islam and heart to understand someones pain........
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