700 Ethiopian housemaids roaming around on streets in Kuwait, Ethiopian Embassy failed to help them

Alarm Over Ethiopian Domestics
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 20: Owners of offices, which recruit housemaids from Ethiopia, have complained about the Ethiopian Embassy’s alleged failure to solve several issues concerning the housemaids, reports Al-Anba daily quoting sources.
Sources revealed the embassy has closed its doors on housemaids who escaped from their sponsors; giving them no option but to roam around the streets. Sources said several domestic labor offices have expressed disappointment over the embassy’s inability to play its role efficiently; thereby, making the housemaids, sponsors and offices lose their rights. Sources added the owners of domestic labor offices and the Kuwaiti sponsors often engage in heated arguments due to their failure to determine the whereabouts of absconding housemaids.
Sources said the absconding Ethiopian housemaids are often seen roaming around the streets in different parts of the country because their embassy does not provide them with a suitable shelter. Sources revealed more than 700 Ethiopian housemaids are said to be roaming around — a phenomenon which might spread contagious diseases and lead to dire consequences especially if some of them decide to return to their sponsors.

The owners of domestic labor offices called for the intervention of the embassy to address the problem and to protect the rights of all parties. They warned the embassy must take into consideration the rising rate of crimes committed against housemaids, in addition to the human rights issues raised against Kuwait due to this phenomenon which has tarnished the image of the country in the international community.
They argued the problem has worsened due to the absence of proper administration procedures in the embassy and its failure to abide by the stipulations of the contracts they signed with the domestic labor offices. They also urged the embassy to immediately take the necessary measures to protect the rights of all parties involved — the housemaids, their sponsors and the domestic labor offices.
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