‘Maid’ to suffer: Black market pushing cost up to SR20,000

JEDDAH: Many investors in Madinah are urging the government to take action because they claim there is a black market currently operating that is pushing the cost of recruiting domestics up to SR20,000.
At a meeting with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development in Madinah, they also called for the authorities to help them hire housemaids from Indonesia because they claim that most Bangladeshi workers are not qualified or too old, and those from the Philippines are seeking too many benefits, a media report said.
However, the ministry’s director in Madinah, Awad Al-Hazmi, said that Indonesia has refused to send workers for individuals and families, and only allow them to be hired by recruitment firms for companies. He urged the investors to report market irregularities and said that complaints would be sent to the Council of Saudi Chambers and Foreign Ministry for action.
Mohammed Suleiman Al-Waheed, professor of criminology at King Saud University in Riyadh, said that an estimated 50 percent of maids run away from their sponsors before Ramadan every year largely because of the increased workload during the holy month.
He said many maids are also involved in affairs with their male sponsors and run away when the illicit behavior is exposed. He said some might flirt with the husband of the house to anger the wife, which then results in them being given a chance to transfer their sponsorship or be sent home.
Meanwhile, according to the ministry last year before Ramadan 877 maids across the country ran away from their sponsors, with 136 deported and 741 lodged at its shelters. A security source revealed that 8,487 maids who arrived last year during Shaaban and Ramadan were placed in shelters because their sponsors had not turned up. There were 835 maids who refused to work and were deported after interrogation.
Maids are sometimes enticed away by offers of more money by brokers. It appeared maids were involved in more criminal and immoral activity as Ramadan approaches, including harassing the children and the elderly, refusing to work, demanding leave to go home, and asking employers to transfer their sponsorship.
Sociologist Ahmed Idris said that domestic workers, both maids and drivers, often receive lucrative offers before Ramadan, despite the Interior Ministry warning of heavy penalties for hiring workers under such conditions.
He said recruitment offices have a major role in hiring unqualified workers, or those with criminal records back in their home countries. This is because these offices rely on brokers outside the country who do not verify CVs.
Idris said families do not report crimes committed by domestic workers because they are careless or are ignorant of the law. Domestic workers would simply reject the charges, and then accept deportation to their home countries.
He said penalties for those who employ, conceal or harbor a runaway resident include a fine of SR15,000 and deportation, for the second time SR30,000 and deportation, and for three or more times a fine of SR100,000, deportation and a 6-month jail term.