Picture for illustrative purposes
As many as 58 cases of illegal hiring of Asian absconding domestic workers were investigated by the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution in 2016
Published: Sat 28 Jan 2017, 6:42 PM
Last updated: Sun 29 Jan 2017, 10:18 AM
Apart from the heavy fine imposed by the government, hiring an absconding housemaid can be dangerous to the employer too, warned a top official.
Advocate-General Ali Humaid bin Khatem, the head of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution, warned against the legal consequences of such illegal practices.
"The person who hires an absconding maid faces a Dh50,000 fine as per Article 34 of the Foreigners' Entry and Residency Law, or otherwise faces a maximum jail term of six months. But the absconding maids will be jailed and deported." (The employer will be fined Dh100,000 if he/she hires two such absconders.
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Absconding maids and domestic helps are often caught when they commit crimes and they are reported by their new bosses. "Many of them commit thefts and get arrested. "However, in such situations, both the maid and the person, who hired her, will then fall in legal trouble. The maid for absconding and theft while that person for illegal hiring," Bin Khatem revealed.
"Inspection visits and campaigns are regularly conducted on residential and bachelors areas by the department of follow-up and deportation of violators of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA). In one case, an absconding maid was apprehended and she led us to the individuals who hired her. In that building, 14 absconding maids were caught."
As many as 58 cases of illegal hiring of Asian absconding domestic workers were investigated by the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution in 2016 and Dh3.3 million worth of fines were slapped on violators.
Health and safety risks
The Advocate -General warned against the risks of employing illegal domestic helps. "When you hire maids without going through the legal procedure, you are letting them inside your house, among your children and family members without having any background information on their health history. Some of them might have infectious diseases or even criminal records. Letting such a stranger inside your home and allowing her to live with your family can result in bad consequences."
In one incident, a woman who hired an absconding maid, came back home one day and found her drowned in the swimming pool. "The woman reported the drowning incident to the police. The maid's identity could not, however, be determined. That woman was later referred for investigation and then to court. She was ordered to pay a Dh50,000 fine for illegal hiring."
Individuals, who apply for maid visas and then sell it to make profits without really employing the domestic helpers also risk their files be blocked at the authority. "We would send a letter to the GDRFA and recommend that such recurrent violators be denied more maid visas in the future," Bin Khatem concluded.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
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