RIYADH — The Ministry of Labor and the Public Security authorities have warned of stringent penal action against those involved in trading in the services of runaway maids. Such violations will amount to human trafficking and the perpetrators will get up to 15-year jail term or SR1 million in fine or both, they said. The warning came in the wake of ads appearing in various media outlets, especially in social media, offering the services of illegal domestic workers. "Smuggling of domestic workers with the intention of exploitation or intimidation will amount to human trafficking. "The trader, broker, employer, and all those associated with them will face penalties in line with the provisions of the law to combat crimes of human trafficking," the ministry sources said. Several people, involved in trading in the services of of domestic workers, who violated the labor and residency rules, were arrested during raids after they published ads about their services in the media. They have been transferred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to complete the investigation process and then referred to judiciary for taking penal action against them. The ministry urged the citizens not be misled by the ads appearing in the media to get housemaids in an illegal way. Recruitment firms have to publish wages of domestic workers on the ministry's Musaned portal and list their professions and nationalities.
