Two European countries, namely Bosnia and Macedonia, will now send housemaids to Qatar, senior Labour and Interior Ministry officials announced yesterday. Bosnia and Macedonia are among the five new countries, which include Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam, from where maids are to be recruited. Other countries already sending maids here will continue to do so. Skilled workers will also be recruited from the five countries whose names were announced yesterday. A delegation from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour visited the above countries to formalise agreements for the import of domestic and skilled workers. This was announced by Brigadier-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Atiq, Assistant Director of Immigration and Passports Department at the interior ministry, at a news conference. “We visited these countries and we agreed with them to provide us with skilled workers as well.” Fawaz Al Rayis, Director of Recruitment at the Ministry of Labour, who was present at the news conference, said they held meetings with manpower agencies in Qatar and explained to them recruitment procedures in the country. Manpower agencies in Qatar can apply to recruit workers from the above counties from next week, he added. Al Rayis said the number of workers and housemaids being brought from these countries would depend on demand and supply. In response to questions from this newspaper, he said the job contracts would depend on bilateral agreements inked with these countries, but generally the maids’ monthly wages would range between $200 and $250. “We have a clear-cut work contract format for housemaids and there are no disagreements over its clauses.” Talks are going on with other GCC countries to have a common format for employment contracts for housemaids for the whole region, said Al Rayis. “We will be making an announcement when the format is finalised.” Al Rayis was reacting when asked if the maids’ present employment contracts would not be in conflict with a GCC-wide format that was being developed. There have long been complaints that local manpower agencies are charging families wanting maids exorbitant recruitment fees. There are also complaints that many maids run away after serving a family for less than three months. It is hoped that with new manpower export markets opening up, local manpower agencies would reduce their fees. Source : Qatar Chronicle

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