http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article181909.ece
Fleeing maids give sponsors a tough time By ARAB NEWS Published: Nov 7, 2010 00:29 Updated: Nov 7, 2010 00:29 RIYADH: Residents of Riyadh's Al-Nafl district have complained of the poor procedures used to solve the problem of fleeing maids. The residents said that the system is still in chaos, leaving sponsors with no rights. According to a recent report in Al-Riyadh newspaper, residents have also complained about the huge amounts of money they spend in order to bring the maids into the country and the long times they have to wait until the visas are ready and maids arrive. "All the procedures that the recruitment offices apply are not in the favor of the sponsor," said a sponsor. "The offices are disorganized, they smell bad, and maids tend to cluster in them in a disorganized manner. New maids also get in contact with old maids who have fled their sponsors and as a result the new ones start to learn how they can flee their sponsors and where they can go." Some sponsors also expressed their concerns that their runaway maids could be re-deployed by recruitment offices to other families who are looking for maids without changing the sponsor on the worker's iqama, which might put them in trouble. Hayazi Al-Barqi said his maid fled after three months. "I was informed by her embassy that she is at the office," he said. "The office did not tell me about her probably because they don't have accurate information about her. Their carelessness was obvious when they got hold of my maid and did not let me know she was at their office." Saud Al-Sihli said that the only answer he receives from the office when he asks about his maid is that they have not found her yet. "She fled after robbing my house," he said. "Since then I have been searching for her. Who is responsible and who will give me my rights? Is the role of these offices restricted to providing a shelter for maids?" Abdullah Al-Bishan, who was covering his nose with shimagh (Saudi headwear for men), complained about the bad smell and the lack of cleanness and maintenance at these offices where maids are clustering everywhere. "I am like any other person here, I am looking for my maid who fled," he said. "And also like any other person here I am left with no rights." Ganim Al-Ghatani, who came to the office looking for a temporary maid, said he still has not received one even though he has been contacting the office for two months. "They will give you one only if that serves a personal need," he complained. Rahim Al-Moutairi said he spent SR12,000 only to find out that his maid fled when she arrived at his home. "Not only that but the maid went to her embassy, which consulted the office and they asked me to send her back to her home country at my expense," he said. "What a disorganized system!" Mohamad Al-Dawsari said he came all the way from his town, Wadi Al-Dawasir, to consult the office to end his maid issue. "When my maid refused to work I sent her through the bus service to the office in Riyadh," he said. "She remained at the bus station for two days and the office did not take her. I came back to hand her in to the office, but the office did not do anything." Falah Al-Otaibi said his maid came from the airport directly to the office and remained there for a long time. "The office did not tell me she was there and if I had not come to them she would have stayed here forever," he said. "Where is the role of the police? Don't they have a say in this?" [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
