Cases of violence against housemaids are on the decline.

Khalid Al Harbi, representative of the Passport Department in Makkah, said maids mainly run away following communication with their brokers back home, denying that violence is the main reason behind their fleeing.

He said the Passport Department has an important role to ensure such cases do not happen. The department has established security patrols to detain violators.

During a forum organized by the Human Rights Commission in Jeddah entitled "Housemaids: Between Need and Necessity", Al Harbi stressed the importance of notifying authorities about runaways, adding that anyone who harbors or employs runaways will be deported.

Col. Talal Al-Sidalani of Jeddah Police and a supervisor of the application of the law on criminal procedures, said: “Ill-treatment is cited as one of the main reasons for their escape, but reasons also include work pressure, violation of financial rights and sexual assault.” He explained that violence meted out to them is psychological and social and includes bullying.

He added that over the past few years, there has been a failure to act upon such complaints due to lack of clarity in such cases, adding that the police have now been armed with training programs.