Embassies try for amicable solutions with sponsors

Abu Dhabi: A number of embassies said they have received complaints from workers that their sponsors are demanding money to release their passports.

The Bangladesh Embassy has received the maximum number of complaints. "We received about 700 complaints from amnesty seekers that their employers were asking for money to release passports", said a senior official. "Although we intervened in all the cases, only 15 per cent of employers were ready to accept our request."

Indian Embassy officials said they received a lot of complaints and a special team constituted by the embassy intervened.

Discussions

"The complainants said their employers demanded

Dh500 to Dh5,000 to release their passports. We spoke to the companies or sponsors and found amicable solutions in many cases. Wherever the embassy's efforts did not succeed we advised the complainants to approach the Ministry of Labour," said an official.

A senior official at the Pakistan Embassy said: "We tried to reach amicable solutions by talking to the employers in many cases. We have officially informed the authorities also," said Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, First Secretary at the Embassy. The Sri Lankan Embassy has received 50 complaints from illegal workers , said a senior official.

"Most of the complainants are from construction and cleaning companies. They said companies or individual sponsors demanded Dh250 to Dh500 to cancel the labour card ... But the embassy was able to find an amicable solution in 90 per cent of the cases" said Madurika Weninger, Charge d'affaires (interim) of the Sri Lankan Embassy.

Abdi Satya Utama, information officer at the Indonesian embassy said most of complaints came from housemaids.