Maid in Hell

[nameforthethread]

I started a thread in telly addicts too. But here is more relevent.
it's awful to watch. it's about the treatment of domestic workers in the Middle East, shipped in, they have their passports and phones removed once they arrive. Often never receive any payment and are abused. 2 women a week are shipped home dead after suicide or falling off buildings.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06mfbc9

not sure why my links are not working

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06mfbc9

They get shipped in to the uk too, passports taken, abused etc.
The people who abuse them have money though, so no one really cares.

And the Kenyan Govt complicit also....everyone knows and someone makes more money by exploiting more women.

Truly shocking. That Lebanes arsehole laughing about the maids that comit suicide by jumping off buildings. Evil, evil man. This is his twitter if anyone wants to tell him how hideous he is and how much women despise him @maherdoumit

the governments know they don't care, Kenya ban it for a while but then tgey received some money and it all nice and legal again.......

“I am slave” is a great drama that explores the topic. Pretty sure it’s on Netflix now (was originally C4).

I'll look for it tomorrow FissionChips

I've NC for this as I'm rather afraid it might be somewhat outing:

I work for a big consultancy with a large footprint in the ME. This, along with the treatment of male migrants, too, (the latter often work menial labour jobs and construction) is one of the reasons why I'm refusing to take on a mandate in the ME despite being a fluent Arabic speaker with the perfect skill set.

What I really came on here to say, though: yes, it's disgusting when ME employers do it. No excuses. But what goes unmentioned and really breaks my heart is when I hear of European and NA expats mistreat their domestic staff. Maybe not to the extent of physical mistreatment (I don't know) - but there's a family from London currently in Dubai that literally makes the maid sleep in the kitchen. Those people don't even have the excuse of "culture". They're British and they know better. It's just that they're abusive, stingy arse holes.

I agree with you @UnEducatedWoman. I live in the ME and I have known plenty of Brits badly treat their maids (denying them the ability to buy phone cards, locking them in the (highrise) apartment, refusing days off, making them sleep Harry Potter-esq under the stairs) - its something that a (small) proportion of all nationalities do. I don't think 'culture' has anything to do with it, some people will abuse other people given the chance.

If there was a culture of maids and the lack of legal protection to stop it happening in the UK the same thing would be happening in the UK. It is happening in the UK but it's just restricted for maids because of most British people can't bring a domestic worker into the country anymore.

UnEducatedWoman

I agree. I know someone who moved out to the ME, I was shocked she'd even go, (knowing her political views) but from what I know she has a 'live out maid' I hopefully presume they have a better life?

I spent a while working in Dubai recently and was shocked and frankly disgusted at the treatment of the family maids I saw out there.

Personally I would be very reluctant to hire a 'live out maid' - firstly it's not legal (except through agencies and then the maid sees a fraction of the money you pay and is often poorly treated) and secondly the maid is either living on a completely illegal visa or has paid a sponsor for a visa and has to pay high fees to that sponsor and also runs the risk of exploitation by the sponsor.

I make these comments as someone who has a live-in maid. I couldn't do my job without it (there's basically no before and afterschool care available) and I'm very happy to pay someone to do my cleaning so I don't have to do it. She's been with us coming up for nine years now and has had multiple opportunities to leave so hopefully she doesn't consider herself to be poorly treated. I know the situations some of her friends and family have been in though. Maids, particularly ones new to the country without a support network, are very very vulnerable.