"This is being done considering the problems faced by these women both in Sri Lanka and in the host countries," Perera said, adding that complaints are minimal compared to the housemaid population working abroad. However, he added that the social problems that are created due to their absence from home, had caused a lot of concerns to the government.

He explained that the whole family of a maid working abroad is neglected in Sri Lanka.

"The children are not looked after well, although the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment looks after their educational needs," the minister said.

Admitting that the maids do bring in a bulk of foreign remittances to the national coffers, the minister said that he would like to replace the country's overseas workers with semi-skilled and skilled workers and with professionals from Sri Lanka.

Imposing the age limit would be done during the next three years in a phased manner, which would indirectly discourage women going abroad to do household chores, the minister said, noting that the maximum age limit for these maids would be fixed at 43.

The existing age limit for housemaids is currently set between 21 to 50 years.

The number of runaway housemaids in the Kingdom are consistently estimated at 12 per day. The Sri Lankan Embassy gets about 10 of these maids a day.

According to reports, some of the cases are settled at the missions through negotiations with the respective sponsors and the other cases are repatriated home.

According to the minister, 330 of its overseas Sri Lankan worker population have died in 2010 due to various causes. Accordingly 262 died in 2006, 278 died in 2007, 285 died in 2008, and 333 died in 2009.

Causes of death include natural reasons, road accidents, suicides, homicides and other mishaps.

Some 262 bodies of expatriate workers were repatriated home in 2010 while 58 were buried in the host country.