By Angel Tesorero | July 1, 2017
Khaleejtimes
Some agencies recruit them from home countries and bring them to the UAE on three-month tourist visa, on the promise of getting employed, which is an illegal practice
Most distressed maids are quite new to Dubai. They came here on a visit visa with the objective of looking for employment, even though the practice is illegal in the UAE.
The UAE is very attractive because the demand for maids is high and the manpower supply is low. There has been a shortage of ‘reliable domestic help’ after labour-exporting countries like the Philippines and Indonesia stopped deploying new maids back in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Some employers have resorted to the ‘black market’ to fill the gap, which resulted in paying higher fees to get a maid.
The main reason why maids run away from their employers, according to officials, is that they don’t come through legitimate channels, so they are not made fully aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes said some Filipino household service workers (HSWs) come on a visit visa and they look for jobs here. “If they encounter a problem, there is no recruitment agency that we can chase,” he said.