Housemaids are being traded illegally by expatriate agents in an Omani town for less than OMR1,500, the Times of Oman reported.
Agents in Sohar speak openly of skipping official government and embassy procedures to provide expatriate women to work as housemaids in Oman.
Housemaids from Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Philippines and African countries can be hired from Sohar easily either on a two-year contract or over a shorter period - without embassies ever knowing. Under Omani law, all housemaid contracts in Oman must be registered with the government and the embassy of the housemaid.
“I have my own way to deal with embassies. You don’t have to go to embassies. We will take care of everything. You have to pay only OMR1,200 and feel free to choose one from the CVs here,” one agent in a Sohar office told our reporter. The agent produced the CVs of a few Indian housemaids from Andhra Pradesh, complete with their pictures, ages and other private details.
The agents spoken to by Times of Oman offered catalogues of women complete with photographs and details of age and nationality.
“I have agencies in India. I can do it for you,” one agent added.
He even said that women from Hyderabad are “not good” but those from Andhra “will work hard”.
Another agent in the same street said that housemaids can be arranged for six months or shorter period without processing any papers. Our reporter was told to simply pay OMR200 as a fee to the agent.
“If you need a housemaid for a shorter period, there is no need for maudinya (visa clearance). We will arrange housemaids in Muscat. I will give the number of an agent in Muscat. Just talk to her and fix the salary,” the agent said.
Yet another agent in the same Sohar street said that he could supply Sri Lankan housemaids fast with no need to go through the embassy.
“We need salary details, maudinyia and ID card. We can bring housemaids. You can choose which one you want. No need to go to embassy. We will do that,” the agent said.
For an inexperienced housemaid, the monthly salary would be OMR80, and for an experienced one it would range between OMR100 and OMR120, the agents said.
-Agencies
