Saudi Arabia has repatriated 1,896 housemaids who had sought redress for alleged human rights violations in the Kingdom.
According to the Arab News, the Riyadh police said in a statement this week that the domestic workers were from countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia.
The Kingdom has plans to start recruiting domestic workers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos and India.
Police said the government protects the rights of workers and sponsors according to Islamic law.
According to a diplomat from a labor exporting country, the common problems faced by maids include nonpayment of wages, ill-treatment, sponsors refusing to send them home when they complete their contracts and lack of communication with employers.
The workers often bear the costs of repatriation. However, in some cases the deportation center or the ministry pays for their fights home. The deportation center is in Olaya district and has a capacity to house more than 200 maids at a time.
