Authorities shut down three domestic helper agencies

AMMAN — The Ministry of Labour has shut down three domestic helper recruitment agencies this year for breaching labour laws and regulations, according to a ministry report.

The report said the ministry has also issued 21 warnings to recruitment agencies this year.

Six agencies were closed down in 2012 and 16 agencies last year, when the ministry issued 66 warnings to the agencies, according to the report.

“A total of 48,000 domestic helpers are currently licensed in Jordan… with a total of 34,675 were recruited this year,” according to the report.

A ministry official said that thousands of domestic helpers are living in the Kingdom with expired work permits and residency visas.

The report showed that 69.20 per cent of the foreign workers in Jordan are Egyptians, while 10.66 per cent are from Bangladesh, 4.89 per cent from the Philippines, 4.66 per cent from Sri Lanka and 2.48 per cent from Syria.

The ministry announced earlier this week the opening of the domestic helpers market in Jordan to workers from Kenya. The ministry said the cost of recruiting a Kenyan domestic helper is JD1,800, inclusive of all fees, costs and plane tickets.

The ministry will start receiving applications for recruiting Kenyan domestic helpers as of June 1.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Nidal Katamine announced on Monday in a press statement that compulsory insurance for foreign domestic helpers will go into effect starting July 1 under an agreement signed between the Domestic Helpers Recruitment Agencies Association and the Jordan French Insurance Company. 

The insurance seeks to guarantee the rights of domestic helpers and their recruiters, according to the ministry, which stressed that under the new compulsory insurance policy, recruiters of domestic workers will be compensated if the helpers escape or refuse to work, while the workers will be compensated in cases of injury.