Resident jailed for employing maid illegally

Sharjah: A resident is in prison and has to pay a fine of Dh50,000 for employing a housemaid who was not on his sponsorship, police told Gulf News.

Police said the Egyptian is being detained at Sharjah Central Jail since last week. "The employer and the maid's sponsor are facing charges of offending the residency law and trafficking in humans," police said.

Police said the employer will also face jail for beating, abusing and starving the maid for several days.

Gulf News had earlier reported that Akluma Khatoon Rahim, 17, a Bangladeshi, came to work in the UAE three months ago.

She said that when she arrived, a man picked her up from the airport and took her to his house, where she met his wife and two children. She said she was beaten, starved and verbally abused by her Egyptian employer.

Akluma said the abuse was unbearable, but she was forced to tolerate it to support her poor family back home. The family later kicked her out because she was too weak to work.

The case was earlier being investigated by Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD), which transferred it to the public prosecutor.

SNRD officials said Akluma was sponsored by an Emirati from Fujairah.

"Her visa was issued from Fujairah. The day after she was kicked out by the Egyptian family, the sponsor reported her as absconding," an SNRD official said.

Akluma is also in jail for working for someone other than the sponsor.

"We know it is not her fault and that she came here to work without knowing who her sponsor is," said an official from SNRD.

The official said the case is now being investigated by public prosecutor and the court.

"I hope that she will go back home soon," he said

Akluma was spotted by passersby two weeks ago on Al Khan Road near Al Qasba area. She was sitting on the side of the road with her small bag next to her. She was weeping and barely able to speak out of exhaustion. She had not eaten for many days.

Akluma said that she used to work for an Egyptian family in a building on Al Khan Road. "They kicked me out without any money. I have no place to go," she had said.

"I do not know the name of my employer, but I do know the wife's name. They have two children," said Akluma, who can identify the building where she worked.

"My family are poor and I had to tolerate all the pain to support them. My father paid more than Dh7,000 to send me here. He paid the money to a person who sent me the visa," she had said.

Residents of the area later took Akluma to Buhaira police station. Police said she should be taken to Al Kuwait hospital for a check-up to prove she was beaten.

The young maid spent one night at the electricity room in a nearby building before going to the SNRD.

While Akluma's age in her passport is 20, her real age is 17. "My father changed my age in my passport," she said.

Have you faced difficulty in hiring a domestic worker? Can the procedures be further simplified to help families hire part-time housemaids?

Six months ago I kept a housemaid for a month since my wife was not well and nobody was there to take care of my children as I was very busy with my office work. But this lady robbed gold and some foreign currency worth Dh40,000 from my house. She took the assets the day when my wife and children were going to India for a short break. I could not complain as I came to know about the legal consequences I would face. Anyway I learnt the lesson of my life and I never trust keeping a housemaid on my sponsorship or not.
Sami Malek
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 13:49

Good job by authorities. May Allah bless the poor girl.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:58

The authorities have done a great job. When will people start considering others as being human too?
Zahrah
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:24

I am an Egyptian, and am surprised that these actions are coming from a countrymate. What a wrong image we are giving of Islam and muslims here. What a cruel action, I have a maid and me and my wife treat her as part of the family, this is what Islam is all about, Religion of Mercy to all Mankind.
Mohammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:22

The accused should be given harshest punishment ever. And what goes around shall come around.
A. A. Panjwani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:14

Really apreciate the work of immigration people, hats off to them, This would be an eye opener to the residents who violate humanity.
Abdullah Jabri
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:09

I really hate suchpeople. But thanks to the people who helped this lady. And thanks to the police who take immediate action. Just send her home!!
Quennie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:09

We have to request the embassies of all countries to have one Help Desk in each embassy in UAE once the employee gets the Visa from UAE he should check up with our own Embassy Help Desk in UAE to clarify and confirm the correct status of employment. Then they can come and join the company. Each Embassy will have a track of their country's people also (if the company does not exits in UAE they can inform to the visa holder not to come to UAE, all this Our Embassies have to coordinate) this will help our people.
Aseervadam Pinipey
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 12:04

Employer deserves the crime and lesson for others.
Aslam Ahmad
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 11:47

Both the sponsor family and the employer should be punished and fined for treating a human being like this. They should refund the Dh7,00 her father spent, plus emotional damages to her. And then the those two families head of households should be jailed to teach them a lesson. Kudos to the Sharjah authorities for such responsiveness!!!!
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 11:31

i think the employer deserves the punishment for this crime and others could take lesson from this.
Aslam Khan
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 11:22

I like the action, what police have taken ..
Ashir
sHARJAH,uae
Posted: March 08, 2009, 11:21

Well done UAE police! I Hope justice prevails with the maid.
Bernadette
Karachi,Pakistan
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:59

I really appreciate Sharjah authority?s action with this. Keep growing.
Nayeem Meraj
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:58

Nowadays, it is a very common practise to hire maids. Many times the sponsors themselves allows maids to work for others in exchange of part of the maids monthly salary.
Nadia Kashif
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:54

Great job by the authorities! Those people should be punished severely to set an example for those cruel people out there.
John Thomas
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:50

The authorities have been fair in their actions. The girl has to be sent back to her parents especially because she is underage. Whoever sponsors a housemaid, the passport must be held by the authorities. This will prevent maids absconding or ill treatment by the employer. Not every person knows the rules and regulations of the country and this increases the chances of people being duped. Procedures could be simplified and made public so that there would be no confusion and every resident would know the rules. This would also help people abide by the same and excuses of not being able to understand certain rules could be evaded.
Naina Nair
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:29

I think she must not be sent back and given a legal so she can support her family back home because she paid money to come here and going back without earning will make her family?s life miserable.
Aftab
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:21

Making visa and sponsorship rules less strict would decrease such illegal cases and actions.
Alireza
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:21

I am Egyptian too but such acts are not accepted in our religion or culture.I request the authorities to make the process of hiring maids easier.
Mohamed Ali
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 10:14

I think she is not guilty and she should be taken to a charity home.
Shahzad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:45

Most of the housemaids run away from their sponsors to get more money by working in different places.
Sara
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:33

Many families are suffering to get a housemaid in UAE because of the law.We can not afford all the expenses other than the accommodation requirement. The respective authorities should check the requirements instead of simply rejecting the application if we don't have a two bedroom flat. If both parents are working and they have a child ,how can they take care their child?.
Shiju
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:27

The procedure to hire the maid are burdensome and you are dependent on the agents who arrange the maids on substantially higher payments and accepting the skill offer. without verification which leads to conflict and the maid and the employer both penalised with this act. In my opinion part time housemaids will not be a good idea as the responsibilities of the maid?s health and the other problems will be ignored by each employer. The procedure should be simple for hiring the maid and agencies should be penalised for any deviation from the stated disclosure. Furthermore the fee should be at minimal level. Keeping in view the requirement of the residents who are in dire need of house maid the system should be simplified and the protection to be available for both the parties sever punishments are not the solution of this problem as the Akluma's family will be suffering with heavy debt without having any compensation.
Mohammad Irfan
Al-Ain,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:21

The problem some families face when we go to hire a maid is the requirements is for a two bedroom contract. We stay in a single bedroom which has a provision for a maids room but this is not acceptable. Under the current circumstances it is impossible to survive
Reema
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:21

I don't know why people can't think all people equally. We should be thankful that we are able to take care of our family properly and we can afford the expenses unlike those who are struggling daily to support them and their family.
Abdul Muqheeth
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:20

This article is informative to those who keep housemaids illegally. This maid is not the only one, and there are maids who go through worse.
beema Anzar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 09:05

Yes it has become very difficult to get a maid in Dubai. Everything has been so expensive in UAE which results on both the parents going out to work and maids have become necessarily. .Rules about hiring maids should be revised in order for the safety of these maids should be assured.
Niranjan Shetty
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 08:45

It is very sad to hear about such incidents. The law should be more protective of the rights of these maids.
Qaiser
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 08:28

I would say authorities should put such peoples for life time imprisonment to realise their mistakes. Although this family knows that they hired from another sponsor, they should have not hurt this maid. If they do not like her or want to keep her, they should have sent her back to home. What will happen if the same situation is faced by their own childrens? Just think about it.
Vijay
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 08, 2009, 06:40

I must say, I'm impressed by the swift actions by the police. In many cases I have noticed how quickly they respond and before you know it, the criminal is in jail. Salute to you.
Dan
Stockholm,Sweden
Posted: March 08, 2009, 05:21

Shame on you. How could you treat a fellow human like this?
Ayaz Khan
London,UK
Posted: March 08, 2009, 04:06