Runaway maids :: 7DAYS

"We spend thousands of dirhams to get them a visa, medical card and other documents.” The housewife blamed families hiring illegal maids for aggravating the situation. “I know several families who have employed maids who work illegally. Several maids have even come to me asking for work and when I ask for their passport they have nothing to show me,” she said.

“Most people think that maids run away because of ill treatment. But I have tried my best to keep them happy. Although many people lock up their housemaids, I have always given them enough freedom and I am paying for it today.” Stating that there are several other forces that are driving these maids to escape she said: “These maids were new and did not even know the place well. They hardly had any money and it is very difficult for them to runaway without someone's help.”

As stated, there are substantial upfront fees to legally bring a maid into the country. These fees are paid by the family sponsoring the maid, not the maid. The maid's basis the decision to whether to stay with that family on the differential in the wage she is paid by the family sponsoring her and the wage she is offered, weighing of risk deportation for absconding. Households willing to risk being caught employing a runaway maid avoid the upfront costs. The sum of the gain to that household and the runaway maid equals this upfront cost and the split of the gain is determind by the wage.