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28 March 2024

Couples using Big Brother to spy on illegally hired maids

Several couples who are treading on the wrong side of the law by hiring maids, who are living in the country without a valid visa. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Roopesh Raj

Several couples who are treading on the wrong side of the law by hiring maids, who are living in the country without a valid visa, are turning to technology to keep an eye on the hired help.

An increasing number of families are installing secret video cameras in their homes to keep an eye on their maids, baby-sitters and other such help.

This is primarily because these couples are hiring illegals and cannot go to the police to make a complaint.

According to a top Dubai Police official, hiring a maid who does not have a vaild visa is an offence that draws a fine of Dh50,000, and possibly a jail term.

BD, an Indian, has fixed cameras in his home, which he monitors regularly from his office.

“My wife has to work to make ends meet. I have a one-year-old son. It costs too much to hire a maid with a proper visa. Hence, I hired one (a Filipina) without a visa using a contact provided by my building watchman. Just to keep an eye on her, though, I installed cameras in my home,” BD says.

The maid does not know she is being watched, but BD says he is at peace knowing he is watching his son being taken care of.

JG, another Indian, however, resorted to using a spy camera in his house after his Bangladeshi maid began stealing. “We suspected her, but could not complain to the police because she is an illegal. Instead, we set up a camera and caught her red-handed,” JG says.

Now that the maid knows there is a camera she has stopped stealing. “She does not know where it is. But things have stopped disappearing. The amount I pay her as against hiring a maid legally makes the cost of the camera worth it,” JG says.

The reason more people are risking hiring illegals is largely financial.

The downturn has resulted in either one of the spouses losing their job, or salary cuts.

This website reported on Tuesday that the cost of hiring legal help in the country has increased.

Most such couples have a small child in the home, so either both are working, or one is working and one is out searching for a job.

This makes keeping a maid a necessity. Illegals are the cheapest labour.

The catch-22 is should they steal or indulge in criminal activity, the employer cannot approach the police.

It’s the ‘big brother’ spy camera that is doing the policing for now.

The Dubai Police official said that while camera footage could be used in an investigation into criminal activity, if an employer hires an illegal, both would be in the dock.

Setting up Big Brother

There are several ways to set up remote camera(s) in your home and have remote access.

- The one most in use in Dubai entails buying a camera, a router and a switch from any internet store. Then going on line and buying an IP address for $100 per year, approximately. Hook it all up and switch on.

Depending on how many cameras the whole set-up could cost Dh1,000.

The legality of this set-up is vague because of buying an IP address online.

- There are several companies like Linksys that offer an entire system including an IP address

- Etisalat offers a camera which you can access from your 3G mobile phone. However there are camera and monthly costs involved.

- Du will soon offer a service where one can access several devices remotely, though no service of their’s is available yet

The ‘natur’ guarantee

It’s the watchmen, or naturs as they are colloquially known, of apartment blocks that often provide the contact for illegal hired help.

Says RR, an expat who suffered huge losses when his hired help stole jewellery.

“I got the contact from my watchman. He guaranteed the police would not raid the building and that he would monitor the going and coming of the maid,” says RR.

“When the maid was suspected of stealing, he actually stopped her working anywhere in the building,” says RR.