Always a good reason when maid flees: Judge

There is always a good reason when a housemaid absconds from her sponsor, according to Judge Ali Humaid bin Khatam, head of public prosecution of the Naturalisation and Residency Department of Dubai. 

A major reason is that there are people who employ absconding housemaids in several houses on hourly basis to make a profit. 

The judge was commenting on the results of a survey conducted by Emarat Al Youm newspaper which identified four reasons for housemaids fleeing their sponsors: domestic abuse, lack of deterrent punishment, desire for a better job and low salary.

He agreed that desire for a better job and lack of deterrent punishment could be among the reasons. He said the current punishment of one month jail and deportation for absconding maids to be increased to three to six months imprisonment followed by deportation.　

He was satisfied with the Dh50,000 fine imposed on those who recruit absconding housemaids. 

He wanted recruitment agencies to share the blame when housemaids abscond. He wanted recruitment agencies to force agents in the homelands of the housemaids to share the financial burden if housemaids abscond. 

He felt that such measure would lead to a decline in the numbers of absconding housemaids. 

3,000 readers participated in the poll conducted by Emarat Al Youm. 37 per cent of them attributed the escaping of servants to domestic abuse, 33 per cent to lack of deterrent punishment, 23 per cent to desire for a better job, and 7 per cent to low salary.

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