Saudi urges more control on pregnant Lankan maids coming for employment

The Saudi authorities have urged the Sri Lanka Government to stop sending pregnant women as domestics to the Kingdom since it had created a social issue while at the same time the local sponsors are forced to bear heavy financial losses as a resullt.

The matter was raised in a face-off meeting between the Saudi Labour Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani and Mohamed Hussein Mohamed, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in Riyadh at the start of this month.

The Saudi minister had also called upon Ambassador Hussein to stop maids running away from their Saudi sponsors soon after their arrival in the Kingdom after spending barely three months into their employment saying it was costing each Saudi sponsor something like SR25,000.

A senior official with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLFEB) said that both issues had been appropriately dealt with by the authorities but added that other stake holders in the industry should also get more involved in a bid to arrest the trend.

"In the case of the pregnant domestics he said that 62 per cent of the cases documented in the Gulf region were prior to departure and the rest during post arrival into the host country.

Most of the women get pregnant in the country during the waiting period for departure once they have completed their medical and other formalities.

This happens since they stay with their spouses or partners until their departure and it the relevant recruiting agent that must take note of this", SLFEB Additional General Manager Mangala Randeniya told the Sunday Times.

He added that the balance 38 per cent get pregnant on arrival in the host country mainly through relationships in the place of work or by other means and this was beyond the control of the authorities in Colombo.

He urged the relevant recruiting agents and others to take the initiative of educating the intended workers on the practice of 'safe sex' while waiting to leave the country for employment overseas.

In the case of runaway maids the figures are small and does not even make up even one per cent of the total number of domestics and others employed in the West Asian sector, according to Mr. Randeniya.

"In most of the runaway cases the domestics are either ill-treated by their employer or are driven by home sickness while a few others opt for alternative employment elsewhere.

But these numbers are very small and the majority of the workers are reportedly satisfied with their employment and go to stay the stipulated contract without an issue.

At present an estimated 500,000 Sri Lankan female domestics are known to be employed throughout West Asia with at least 200,000 in Saudi Arabia alone according to available statistics

Association for Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) President Faizer Maickeen told the Sunday Times that the relevant recruiting agent must conduct a random pregnancy test on a female domestic at least two days prior to departure.

"Apparently this is not being done by the agents and therefore it has led to unnecessary situations affecting both the employer and the worker," Mr. Maickeen said.

He further said that the specialised medical clinics mandated to screen the female workers are known to clandestinely administer an anti-pregnancy shot on the unknowing worker.

"This should never be the case because it is the violation of one's fundamental right and this issue has to be addressed right away by the relevant authorities," he added.

The medical clinics numbering 15 are run by the Gulf Affiliated Medical Centres Association (GAMCA) and this is the only grouping that is mandated to carry out the screenings of the workers, Mr. Maickeen pointed out.

"The danger posed by the use of this contraceptive is when it is administered to a single unmarried female it could lead to complications at a pregnancy later on and nobody will be there to take any responsibility. This practice has to be stopped at the very earliest and the relevant authorities must take not of it," he said.

A spokesperson for GAMCA denied that this particular practice was in existent saying it is not ethical and even illegal and will never be allowed.