ABU DHABI A Hungarian woman, who lost her job recently, says she is stuck in the UAE because she has no money to clear her debts. Gabriella Padar, 58, worked as a body therapist at a spa in Abu Dhabi and owes around Dh70,000 in loans and credit cards. “I am in a debt trap. I don’t even have 50 fils with me,” she said.
Pink slip
“I lost my job four months ago and have no means to pay back my loans. Without clearing my debts, I cannot leave the UAE,” said Padar from Budapest who came to the UAE around 15 years ago and had been working in the spa for the last eight years.
“My employer gave me the pink slip without any notice. That turned my life upside down,” said the single woman. Padar said she has led a hand-to-mouth existence for the last few years after she took a big loan to pay her rent.
“After my partner left me, I could not afford to pay the house rent. So I took a loan three years ago. Almost all of my salary was going into paying my loan and credit card bills,” she said. “Now I don’t know from where my next meal will come from. I haven’t paid my rent for three months. That is another Dh12,000.”
Padar said her prospective employers cannot contact her as her mobile phone has been disconnected over non-payment of bills.
“I desperately need a job to survive in the UAE. “I am not the kind who would run away without paying my debts. I want to clear my dues and start afresh,” she said.
