DOHA: Citizens and members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) have asked the authorities to crack down on runaway workers and domestic helps, who they say are a “threat to social security.”
They demanded raids on the hideouts of runaway workers and more inspection drives to round them up.
Referring to a case of theft in Ain Khalid recently, the Vice Chairman of CMC, Jasem Al Maliki, said such incidents were “alarming”.
“As CMC members, we have to warn against such an incident before it becomes a widespread phenomenon. The Ministry of Interior and other authorities should be on guard round the clock to curb such practices,” he said.
Runaway workers resort to crimes like theft for survival and to send part of the money to their families back home.
The law should be strict in dealing with runaway housemaids and they should be deported after serving a jail term for the crimes they commit, the members said.
The rising price of recruiting a housemaid also makes some people hire runaway domestic helps, which is illegal. Some people also hire runaway housemaids on an hourly basis to save money on recruiting them, said Al Maliki.
The Industrial Area was identified as a hub of runaway workers since it is quite close to Ain Khalid, and the proximity makes it an easy target for criminal activities.
Sponsors should lodge complaints against runaway workers and housemaids so that they can be arrested by the police before they become a threat to the community, said Hamad Lahdan Al Muhannadi, a CMC member.
People sheltering runaway workers and housemaids should be dealt with severely and punished, he said. There are some companies that help workers run away from their sponsors by offering them attractive salaries and perks, said Al Muhannadi.
He also proposed installing CCTV cameras in public places such as commercial streets and shopping malls to catch criminals.
Meanwhile, one Qatari argued that the phenomena of runaway housemaids and workers could be resolved by improving their living and working conditions.
“A foundation should be set up to sponsor and accommodate housemaids and provide all necessary facilities to them,” said Khalis Khamis Al Ibrahim.
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