A number of maids have absconded from their Qatari sponsors this summer during trips to the UK, Al Raya reports.

Incidences of “vanishing” maids are becoming a growing problem for many Khaleejis who go on vacation in Europe and the United States, the report states.

Gulf Times translates:

Many Qatari ladies expressed shock and disgust at the manner in which some employment agencies in the UK lure housemaids with the promise of salaries as high as £2,000 (QR13,000) a month and eight hours of work, the Arrayah Arabic daily reported…

“As soon as I landed in London and checked into a well-known hotel, I was shocked to find that my housemaid vanished in spite of the fact that her passport was in my custody. She later sent me a message confessing to her act and expressing her gratitude to me and her love for my children! She said she has given up service with me for better employment terms,” Umm Mohamed said in a statement to the daily.

Despite the problem, the UK remains a top destination for nationals.

According to the British embassy in Doha, some 15,800 out of the 25,000 visa applications it processed last year were for Qataris.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo of Hyde Park by Patrick Nouhailler