A government crackdown on rogue online domestic worker recruiters has been hailed as a critical step in protecting unwitting job seekers from being duped by false promises of new lives in the UAE.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said 230 accounts were closed as owners had failed to obtain licenses and were not affiliated to licensed recruitment offices.
Envoys and social workers welcomed the move as a vital step to protect the rights of domestic workers and employers as it highlighted the perils of dealing with unlicensed recruitment agencies.
Alexi Gunasekera, consul general of Sri Lanka in Dubai, said it was misleading and dangerous for companies without licenses to promote domestic worker services on social media.
“People promise the sun and moon on social media. It misleads employers and creates big problems for innocent domestic workers,” Mr Gunasekera told The National. “This is an unwanted problem that surfaces daily. Fake agencies on social media are dangerous because people blindly follow posts and get into all kinds of trouble.
"It’s a good decision taken by the UAE government. Our consulate has often faced challenges of people complaining they are being cheated and misled by fake agencies. With this initiative, it’s clear how to report this to authorities and we will also give this more publicity in Sri Lanka.”
The UAE ministry on Wednesday urged Emiratis and residents to report any negative practices or misleading advertisements on social media promoting domestic worker services by calling 60 059 0000. The list of licensed offices is available on the Mohre website.
Fake companies caught out
Countries including Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines have the details of registered domestic worker recruiters in the UAE and regularly urge citizens to enter the country via legitimate means through official channels.
However, when people come into the UAE on visitor visas in search of jobs or flee from their employer in search of new employment, they can fall prey to unscrupulous companies. These firms often operate without licenses and place runaway maids or people on visitor visas in temporary jobs on paltry salaries.
“We will work in co-ordination with UAE authorities so people in Sri Lanka will also learn more about this,” Mr Gunasekera said. “We will support this awareness campaign so our people don’t go to fake agencies but instead reach us or contact the Sri Lankan foreign employment bureau directly, which has lists of companies registered with Mohre.”
The UAE’s labour law sets out fines between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 ($5,450 to $27,230) and up to six months' imprisonment for anyone who provides false information or fake documents to employ domestic helpers.
A minimum fine of Dh50,000 up to a maximum of Dh200,000 will be levied on people who recruit staff but misuse domestic worker permits and do not provide them with legitimate employment.
Shutting down scammers
Girish Pant, a social worker in Dubai, has helped maids from India and Nepal return home after they were forced to take odd jobs by scammers who withheld payments.
“This shutting of media accounts will help control and put a stop to companies without licenses who take money from both the employer and people looking for jobs,” said Mr Pant, who works with the Indian consulate to support workers in need.
“Once the fake company gets its money, then you cannot reach the agent. People will be worried when they realise their posts are shut down and fines are being charged. These scammers post links encouraging people to come to the UAE, and when they don’t find a full-time job, the visitor gets stuck with overstay fines and comes to the consulate for help.”
Experts hope awareness can be increased as UAE authorities cut off loopholes and shut down avenues misused by scammers that snare unsuspecting employers and domestic workers.
“Companies need to have proper documentation and it’s a genuine move to shut down accounts as these people wrongfully recruit people and then disappear," Mr Pant said. "This reinforces the existing law and will stop innocent people from getting tricked.”
