Nepali maids arrive despite Kathmandu ban

Hundreds of Nepalese maids continue to arrive every year to work as housemaids despite an existing ban in Nepal.

Hiring a Nepali maid has become cheaper compared to their compatriots from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, as security deposits and clearances at the local consulates of embassies are not required.

“All that you need to pay to hire a housemaid from Nepal is Dh1,200 for the agency apart from the air ticket and the visa processing fees in the UAE,” said Sandhya Varghese, who recently recruited a Nepalese maid.

“The salaries are also low. You will be able to hire a decent maid with a fair bit of communicative skills for a monthly salary of Dh800,” she added.

In comparison hiring a maid from other countries has become more expensive following strict regulations by their embassies and consulates. To hire an Indian maid one would need to shell out an initial investment of a at least Dh15,000.

The government of Nepal banned its women from migrating to the Gulf to work as housemaids years ago following complaints of abuse. “However women continue to bribe immigration authorities to travel to the Gulf. Many of them also come via other destinations such as India,” said one Dubai-based agent who facilitates Nepali housemaids for families.

“The demand has been increasing. Every month I alone bring about four to five maids to the UAE. There are many such agents operating here apart from families who directly recruit from Nepal through other contacts. The demand has been increasing especially during the twelve months,” said Girija.

According to him the girls have to obtain a certificate issued by the Ministry of Education in order to get an immigration clearance. “Further we also pay money at the immigration counter in Nepal to facilitate their smooth passage,” he said. “Once they arrive, there are no hassles in obtaining a maid’s visa here as the Gulf has no ban on Nepali maids,” he added.

One official from the Nepali embassy in Abu Dhabi said they have been receiving calls every day about procedures to bring in maids. “We are tired of telling people that it is banned in Nepal. There are days when we receive more than 50 to 60 calls enquiring about maids,” said the official, who did not want to be identified.

“We are in no position to control it as most of these women travel to the Gulf from outside Nepal,” he added.

He, however, had no response when asked if the embassy would recommend regularising the service to enable them to use the embassy’s service in case of complaints and obtain other welfare measures.
 

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