Amnesty International reports the arrest of dozens of Sri Lankan maids by Saudi police.
Amnesty International says the women are being held at the center with their children; some of these women are pregnant. The organization quoted one of the women as saying that the cell where they were being held was small and that the problem could lead to disputes between them in some cases.
The organization said in a statement that some of these women needed medical care but that Saudi officials did not provide any legal protection; As if the reason and duration of their detention is unknown.
Under Saudi law, a servant in this country is considered an illegal immigrant as soon as he leaves the master’s house.
According to the organization, there are more than three million immigrants in Saudi Arabia who do not enjoy the protection of labor law in this country.
“Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Regional Office said: Detention of foreign female servants for long periods has reached 18 months; they have not committed any crime, but they themselves are victims of harsh and inhumane conditions.
According to Amnesty International’s official website, the organization spoke with 11 people aware of the detention process, including a number of the same staff and an activist and one of the officials of the Sri Lankan embassy in Riyadh.
In five of these cases, the women were arrested for fleeing from an abusive employer. They have not received the necessary permission to leave the country from their employer.
A woman waiting to return home has said she finally quit her job in October 2020 after months of irregular pay. She started working as a servant in Saudi Arabia in mid-2018, but did not receive a sufficient and regular salary for what she did.
Amnesty International, in contact with Sri Lankan and Saudi officials, called for the women’s release to be expedited and for them to return home.
A Sri Lankan embassy official in Riyadh said the embassy team was unable to meet with the women on a daily basis due to facilities problems and the need for frequent requests.
The Sri Lankan embassy and foreign ministry are in constant contact with Saudi Airlines in Colombo to repatriate the women, he said. The organization has not yet received a response from Saudi officials.