ABU DHABI // As many as 25,000 housemaids and other domestic staff with criminal records have been placed on a blacklist that bans them from entering the country.
Interior ministers from the six GCC states have also approved an exchange of information on employees convicted in one country to prevent them from obtaining employment in another.
The security measures were revealed on Tuesday by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, in a written submission to the Federal National Council.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by FNC member Mosabeh Al Kitbi (Sharjah) that domestic staff with criminal convictions were entering the country unchallenged, posing a potential risk to families.
Sheikh Saif said that after talks with other GCC countries, the UAE had registered at Interpol the names and fingerprints of 25,000 domestic staff to keep them out of the UAE.
GCC interior ministers have also approved an exchange of information. "This cooperation has given many positive results since its application," he said.
Mr Al Kitbi said that while the issue was clearly being addressed, he still wished Sheikh Saif to appear at the FNC's next public meeting to discuss it further.
He said more than 100,000 visas were issued to maids each year, and some former convicts were still getting into the country.
In 2011 in Dubai alone, 1,000 applicants were found to have committed crimes ranging from running away from their employers to more serious offences.
Of those, 108 had been convicted of sexually assaulting children they were looking after.
"A large number of women here work, as well as men, leaving their children to the mercy of maids," Mr Al Kitbi said. "We need to make sure they are in safe hands."
osalem@thenational.ae
hdajani@thenational.ae
Efforts to keep maids with criminal records out of UAE
Talks are under way to keep maids with criminal records from entering the country, with 25,000 already blacklisted.
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