KENYANS TOPPING THE LIST OF RUN-AWAY WORKERS IN SAUDI

Over 1340 domestic workers in the Eastern region have run away from their employees since the beginning of the year, this is according to the Saudi ministry of Social Affairs.

According to reports released by the Ministry’s Dammam branch, nearly 15 cases of run-away workers were recorded daily with major workers from Sri Lanka, Kenya and Ethiopia topping the list.

The director of Social Follow up in Dammam, Abdullatif Alnaim said that most of the cases were reported by employers whose domestic workers had escaped and the cases are then forwarded to the police who manage to arrest most of the run-away domestic workers and hand them to the social affairs bureaus who in turn keep them in detention centers.

Mr. Abdullatif said that those arrested are normally kept in detention centers (Tarhil) till investigations are completed as well as the workers embassies clear the deportation process and other clearances from the employers such as paying the cost incurred in employment of the worker if there’s need.

He added that most of the cases between employers and employees are referred to the Committee on settlement of labor disputes in the social follow-up office in coordination with police and passport control office and the worker is given two options ; changing of work place or deportation in which most workers opt for deportation.

In addition, the social affairs bureaus handles cases of mentally disturbed workers who Mr. Abdullatif said tend to harm themselves and thus are kept in mental health centers since such people can’t be allowed to board planes until their mental health status is investigated and proper medical treatments given.

The new report by the Ministry of the Saudi Social Affairs indicated that cases of Kenyan and Ethiopian domestic workers who run-away from their employers has been on the rise and this clearly demonstrating the reason why Kenyans languish in Saudi jails.

Cases of run-away maids have been on the rise and new measures have been undertaken the social affairs bureaus in order to curb the vice which include such as tipping the police immediately a case of run-away worker is reported as well as coordinating with embassies to hand over run-aways workers to detention centers .