Losing 800 KD paid for Housemaid

KUWAIT: An Arab expat and head of a six-member household paid KD800 to a recruitment agency to hire a Filipino housemaid who soon after landing the job ran away.

The recruitment agency refused to return the money to the man – a case that has brought to the surface a prevalent problem about lack of protection for kafeels whose domestic helpers run away immediately after being hired. “When I hired the housemaid, I was told that if any problem arose, the housemaid could be sent back to the agency,” he said, adding that the housemaid was good and wanted to stay with his family.

The kafeel transferred her residency under his name. When the formalities were over, the maid decided that she no longer wanted to stay in his home. “The reason she gave was that she could not stand my children and decided to go back to the agency that found her the employment. “I did not wish to let her stay against her will, so I referred her back to the agency,” he said. The recruitment agency promised to return him the money when the housemaid was employed by a new kafeel. After a few days, however, the Arab expat received a call from the maid who informed him that she ran away from the agency and was under the embassy’s protection.

Under these circumstances, the agency refused to return the money he had paid for the maid. “They informed me that it was not their fault that the housemaid left and that they cannot return my money,” he narrated. Even after the Arab expat threatened that he would complain to the ministry, the recruitment agency urged him to go ahead and file a complaint. “I filed a complaint with the overseeing body but have not received a positive answer.

Instead, I was told to forget about the money I had paid. The body overseeing recruitment agencies informed me that I had hired a housemaid from an illegal agency,” the Arab expat said. An agency owner who spoke with this reporter on the condition of anonymity said that it was impossible to have illegal recruitment offices operating in Kuwait. The recruitment agency questioned the legitimacy of such an employer.Kuwait Times Link

Maybe the Philipino embassy should start having to pay back the sponsors if a housemaid runs away to the embassy before the 100 days are up. I can understand abuse but deciding that she didn't like the kids isn't a reason to go to the embassy. He did the right thing in taking her back to the agency as we are all told if the housemaid doesn't like the family or vice versa then it's ok to bring her back before the 100 days are up in which the sponsor can choose a new one or have the money returned back. Lack of control has the recruiting agencies making tons of money as they charge 800 KD for a housemaid from the Phillipines.

There are other nationalities as well and the prices continue to rise due to the Ministry not controlling the agencies and we all know someone in the Ministry is making lots of money off this epedemic as well. Wasta and money can make the impossible possible. Maybe the new members should try no Wasta for a year which means every citizen in Kuwait has to follow the rules or face the penalty. As if.