Illegal maids in two minds about returning home

Dubai: Illegal maids are facing a Catch 22 situation - either stay on illegally and earn double their salary, or go home under the amnesty, avoid a ban and return legally.

Some residents who had hired the illegal domestic helpers are going all out to discourage them from quitting and going back home under the general amnesty.

Part-time domestic helpers are even being offered double their salaries, annual bonuses, a promise to provide employment to one of their family members and meals - breakfast, lunch or dinner - to remain here.

Residents who spoke to Gulf News said that they are finding it hard to get a replacement for their part-time domestic maids who are contemplating going home.

Currently the illegal domestic helpers are paid Dh200 to Dh250 and they take up part-time work in a minimum of five houses every day. Their work schedule varies from house to house and ranges from cooking and cleaning to babysitting.

Most of the illegal residents who work as domestic helpers largely fall into three categories - absconders, cleaners who are employed in the public sector, and those who lost their jobs when their companies went bankrupt. A large number of female Sri Lankan garment factory workers belong in the last category.

Part-time work

Nilima, a Sri Lankan who has been working as a part-time domestic help for two years, has opted to go home under the amnesty, but is being discouraged by some of her employers who have offered to double her salary.

She said: "[I] work [as a] part-time [maid] in 10 houses but not all of them in a single day. In some houses I work every day, while in others twice a week. "I also do three hours of babysitting every day. Every month I make about Dh2,000 of which I spend Dh150 as the bed space rent and Dh200 for food, the rest I save and send home.

"I want to go back home. I am tired of living in hiding and with the fear of getting caught by the police. But now a couple of my employers have offered to double my salary. I am confused. If I decide to stay back I will earn more and if I go back I will not have to pay a fine or be banned."

M.S., a Jordanian whose part-time Bangladeshi male domestic help is planning to quit and go home under the amnesty, said that hiring a part-time illegal domestic help is more economical than sponsoring a housemaid from overseas.

He said: "If I want to get a housemaid legally I will have to end up with a lot of paperwork and will have to pay a Dh5,000 deposit and her stipulated salary by her consulate. Currently I just pay Dh250 to the Bangladeshi man who works two hours every day in the morning. I do not want him to go back home. I am even ready to increase his salary to Dh400."