RIYADH, 16 March 2006 — The problem of runaway maids cannot be entirely blamed on their treatment by their Saudi sponsors, according to the Sri Lankan ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Part of the problem, he said, is due to scams by unscrupulous recruiting agencies abroad.
“Some of the runaway housemaids who seek refuge in the (Sri Lankan) mission were misguided by their respective job agents on the island,” said Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq at a function held last week to mark International Women’s Day at the Sri Lankan Embassy here.
The stranded housemaids who were in the custody of the mission were given gifts and were hosted for a dinner reception by the envoy to commemorate the event on March 8.
Spelling out the plight of the runaway housemaids in the Kingdom, the envoy said job agents request them to stay in their workplaces for three months and encourage them to run away from their homes breaching their work contract meant for two years.
“The recruiting agent in Colombo advise the maids to runaway after three months since he is contracted to give a replacement for a maid who returns home during the first three months,” he said.
The cost for legally recruiting maids can run into the thousands of riyals, and sponsors are responsible for acquiring iqamas. The high cost of legal recruitment encourages many sponsors to hire illegal servants.
Recruiting agencies abroad are known to charge prospective employees large sums with promises of salaries higher than what they end up receiving when they arrive in the Kingdom.
