The Ministry of Labor and Public Security have agreed to clamp down on those trading in the services of runaway domestic workers. It has been decided to take stringent penal action against all those who violate the iqama (residency permit) and Labor Law regulations in this regard, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officials of the ministry and Public Security, including Minister Mufrej Al-Haqbani and Public Security Director Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Mohrej at the ministry headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday. They urged citizens not to respond to any advertisements published in the media, especially social media, offering the services of illegal domestic workers. "The ministry and Public Security are closely monitoring such ads and all those associated with them will be brought to justice," they said. The meeting discussed various aspects of this issue. It underlined the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination between the ministry and Public Security in dealing sternly with this issue, as well as to take penal action against all those who help housemaids run away from their sponsors, and those involved in their transportation, trading, brokering, and hiring. The meeting also decided to simplify the procedures for Saudis to pass information about runaway maids by taking advantage of the highly advanced means of information technology. Meanwhile, the ministry urged all media outlets to strictly adhere to the royal decree which banned all ads about visa trading and the trafficking in domestic workers.
