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Over 30,000 Ethiopian maids ran away in Saudi Arabia
IANS | Dec 27, 2013, 12.04 PM IST
34
comments
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia registered over 30,000 cases of Ethiopian domestic workers walking out of their jobs over the past year, authorities said.
According to official statistics from the Ministry of Labour, around 31,700 Ethiopian maids ran away from their jobs. Economists estimate that the citizens were left with a heavy financial burden as a result of these cases.
The overall number of domestic workers who left their sponsors high and dry was estimated at 58,715 based on a report prepared by the Ministry of Labour.
The report indicated that 54 percent of absconding expatriates were maids, while 45 percent were drivers.
Riyadh registered the highest number of runaway housekeepers, followed by the Eastern Province and Makkah. The Northern Province and Al-Baha witnessed the least number of absconding domestic workers.
The report also pointed out that around 500,000 expatriates were absent from their jobs in various companies and establishments across the country during the first quarter of the year, with rates of absenteeism pegged at 6 percent.
Around 59 percent of those who had walked out of their jobs had left the country on multiple exit/re-entry visas, while 40 percent remained in the country.
The number of absconding women working for private companies was 9,454.
The phenomenon of runaway domestic workers was a cause for concern for many Saudi families especially since domestic recruitment offices were previously not required to supply families with alternative maids after the end of the three-month trial period.
Khalid Al-Azhari, an employee working at a domestic recruitment office, highlighted that the new recruitment regulations provide clients with guarantees against absconding maids, including providing an alternative housekeeper even if she had one remaining month of service.
The new regulations are considered to be an improvement to the previous system, which compensated clients for absconding domestic workers only during the first three months of employment.
Over 30,000 Ethiopian maids ran away in Saudi Arabia - The Times of India
Below are comments by Indian readers on the original Times of India webpage the article was published on:
Bad journo
This is pathetic reporting the writer fails miserably to highlight why so many abscond or escape from their Saudi 'masters'???
anilkhan.98 (Patna)
Why Africans go to Saudi is beyond understanding. Saudi still has legal slavery, and Africans are treated like dogs. I feel sorry for these women since they have no where to go and will be exploited in every way. These Wahabi people have destroyed Islam and the muslims who follow them do it for the basest of reasons - MONEY.
Joseph (Canada)
In a Middle East newspaper it was reported in 2010 when inhumanity has reached a new height, when a rich Saudi Arabian family allegedly hammered numerous nails into the body of their poor maid as punishment. Also the Sri Lanka Daily News reported that woman told her children about the abuse, when she fled back to her homeland. Doctors reportedly discovered approximately 23 nails, some as long as 2 inches, shockingly buried in the maid's arms, forehead and legs. The woman later identified as Ariyawathi from the town of Matara, told Sri Lankan authorities that she was tortured by the Saudi family when they could not understand her and she them. If you check this out you will see x-ray pictures of nails.
Dominic Fernandes (Unknown)
Saudis are worst than animals but oil money makes them think , they are superhumans.
(I do not condemn all Saudis and cannot support the generalization above but this is an example of the rage being provoked by the inhumanity of many Saudis. - Bengal Tiger)
akkutuaju (USA)
Most of the maids have to work at least 20 hours per day like a Robot. Sexual exploitation is sure. Most of the attackers of maids are sons and fathers. Police access to these maids are being denied and saudis houses are like a fort, sorrounded by big walls and locked gate and as such running away is also difficult.
vyakul2002 (saudi Arabia)
paid very less, made to work 14 hours a day, no offs and tortured sexually
BHARAT BHARTIA (india)
.....the issue must be raised in UNO.....A gross violation of human rights.
Over 30,000 Ethiopian maids ran away in Saudi Arabia
IANS | Dec 27, 2013, 12.04 PM IST
34
comments
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia registered over 30,000 cases of Ethiopian domestic workers walking out of their jobs over the past year, authorities said.
According to official statistics from the Ministry of Labour, around 31,700 Ethiopian maids ran away from their jobs. Economists estimate that the citizens were left with a heavy financial burden as a result of these cases.
The overall number of domestic workers who left their sponsors high and dry was estimated at 58,715 based on a report prepared by the Ministry of Labour.
The report indicated that 54 percent of absconding expatriates were maids, while 45 percent were drivers.
Riyadh registered the highest number of runaway housekeepers, followed by the Eastern Province and Makkah. The Northern Province and Al-Baha witnessed the least number of absconding domestic workers.
The report also pointed out that around 500,000 expatriates were absent from their jobs in various companies and establishments across the country during the first quarter of the year, with rates of absenteeism pegged at 6 percent.
Around 59 percent of those who had walked out of their jobs had left the country on multiple exit/re-entry visas, while 40 percent remained in the country.
The number of absconding women working for private companies was 9,454.
The phenomenon of runaway domestic workers was a cause for concern for many Saudi families especially since domestic recruitment offices were previously not required to supply families with alternative maids after the end of the three-month trial period.
Khalid Al-Azhari, an employee working at a domestic recruitment office, highlighted that the new recruitment regulations provide clients with guarantees against absconding maids, including providing an alternative housekeeper even if she had one remaining month of service.
The new regulations are considered to be an improvement to the previous system, which compensated clients for absconding domestic workers only during the first three months of employment.
Over 30,000 Ethiopian maids ran away in Saudi Arabia - The Times of India
Below are comments by Indian readers on the original Times of India webpage the article was published on:
Bad journo
This is pathetic reporting the writer fails miserably to highlight why so many abscond or escape from their Saudi 'masters'???
anilkhan.98 (Patna)
Why Africans go to Saudi is beyond understanding. Saudi still has legal slavery, and Africans are treated like dogs. I feel sorry for these women since they have no where to go and will be exploited in every way. These Wahabi people have destroyed Islam and the muslims who follow them do it for the basest of reasons - MONEY.
Joseph (Canada)
In a Middle East newspaper it was reported in 2010 when inhumanity has reached a new height, when a rich Saudi Arabian family allegedly hammered numerous nails into the body of their poor maid as punishment. Also the Sri Lanka Daily News reported that woman told her children about the abuse, when she fled back to her homeland. Doctors reportedly discovered approximately 23 nails, some as long as 2 inches, shockingly buried in the maid's arms, forehead and legs. The woman later identified as Ariyawathi from the town of Matara, told Sri Lankan authorities that she was tortured by the Saudi family when they could not understand her and she them. If you check this out you will see x-ray pictures of nails.
Dominic Fernandes (Unknown)
Saudis are worst than animals but oil money makes them think , they are superhumans.
(I do not condemn all Saudis and cannot support the generalization above but this is an example of the rage being provoked by the inhumanity of many Saudis. - Bengal Tiger)
akkutuaju (USA)
Most of the maids have to work at least 20 hours per day like a Robot. Sexual exploitation is sure. Most of the attackers of maids are sons and fathers. Police access to these maids are being denied and saudis houses are like a fort, sorrounded by big walls and locked gate and as such running away is also difficult.
vyakul2002 (saudi Arabia)
paid very less, made to work 14 hours a day, no offs and tortured sexually
BHARAT BHARTIA (india)
.....the issue must be raised in UNO.....A gross violation of human rights.
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