RIYADH, 28 February 2008 — As many as 96 Sri Lankan runaway maids who were languishing in a government detention center in Riyadh were repatriated yesterday under a deal concluded between the two governments. The maids boarded the SriLankan Airlines flight No. 266 at King Khaled International Airport bound for Colombo.
Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Chariman Kingsley Ranawake, who negotiated the deal, told Arab News that the Saudi officials were cooperative in completing the exit procedures quickly.
“Most of these maids, who have been in the camp for more than three months, were victims of nonpayment of salaries, harassments and torture,” Ranawake said, pointing out that they were in detention for a considerable time for no fault of theirs.
Somawathie, 28, said she fled her employer’s home, as she did not receive her salaries for more than 10 months. She realized that she would not be paid even if she continued on work since her employer was financially broke.
Chandra, another maid, said that she decided to run away because the family members were forcing her to work long hours without rest.
Fathima said she came on a three-year contract but her sponsor wanted her to continue work for an indefinite period. “How can I work beyond the contract period without seeing my family back home?” she asked.
Tiruchelvam Marimuttu sought shelter at the embassy when she heard that her husband and two children had died in a housefire in here hometown Batticaloa.
Mallika was brought to the camp following a surgery after she swallowed some needles in a bid to commit suicide.
He said that 79 maids who left yesterday paid for their air tickets and the others’ passage was borne by SLBFE. One of the maids got a prepaid ticket advice sent by her next-of-kin in Colombo since she did not have money to buy the ticket.
Ranawake said his government is determined to get all the stranded women workers home since their families have filed a spate of complaints to the bureau.
He said that the decision to repatriate the maids was taken by the Foreign Employment and Promotion Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who was acting on a recent survey that revealed that the majority of Sri Lankan workers in detention camps are women.
