Illegal practice of retaining passports continues, with some of country's biggest firms openly flouting law.
By:
george
Posted:
Nov 10, 2009 at 09:36
Mr. Observer,
Unfortunately, your hopes that the govt looking into this issue is like hoping for snow to fall in Dubai in July. It just would not happen simply because the people that you are hoping to resolve this problem are the same people doing it.
By:
Observer
Posted:
Nov 06, 2009 at 09:07
How many times I tried to draw attention to this serious matter on different medias, even here on Maktoob Business.
Passport Confiscation = Slavery... Nothing Else.
It's part of the Sponsorship Law for expatriates working in the Gulf.
If you work for almost 20 years in the Gulf and terminate your contract, you should leave immediately.
I can mention for you a huge institute that is handling passport confiscation in its worst ways: EmiratesNBD employing just over 7,500 staff as of now.
They even keep passports of terminated staff who still have dues like loans to the bank, even though they already have signed undated security cheques..!!! preventing the expires staff from leaving the country to find better chances abroad & settle dues from new job.
I really hope the govts. will look into this and resolve it, it creates a backslash to all their efforts in maintaining high living standards and might cause crime to rise.
By:
john
Posted:
Nov 05, 2009 at 16:50
I work in a govt institution. They keep our passports. I have even seen a memo on the staff notice board asking staff 2 return their passports to the HR....intending those who came after vacations.etc. So....what law if the govt does not follow it...
By:
Ajithan
Posted:
Nov 05, 2009 at 16:24
I have also come across with cases where employees are made to resign/terminated but waiting months after that for the final settlement and release of passport. Company conveniently stopped their salaries from the day they resigned/terminated. How a low salaried employee supposed to pay his rent & meet his expenses? By the time they receive their settlement/passport they end up in more debt than the total amount they receive.
By:
samantha
Posted:
Nov 05, 2009 at 15:00
Know your rights and stand up for for them, before u expect anyone or any institution for that matter to stand up for your rights. It is not an excuse to say " i do not know that it is illegal for companies to detain passports", the first thing anyone ought to do when going to another country is to know one's rights and the local laws, u will be oppressed if u allow your self to be oppressed.
By:
wewed
Posted:
Nov 05, 2009 at 12:54
i have been working in Dubai for 6 months.The accommondation is over crowded 12 pple sharing a room.the pay is 1100AED for sales associate in a retail store based in mall of emirates.My family keep sending me money from home to meet my basic needs.My wife was pregnant when i came here and she has delivered a baby.I have tried to get my passport back for the last 4 months but i have been completely denied.The situation i am in now is modern days ..slavely being forced to work standing for 12-14 hours in a day.I had resigned 2 months ago and the company denied me my salary for the month and my passport to travel back home.My life have been robbed from me......every day is tears for us here and my collegues.
By:
tom@jerry
Posted:
Nov 04, 2009 at 08:40
Employers know that they are exploiting their employees that is why they have to hold on to something so that these people will not run away. And the only thing they know that is necessary so that you can lease your employees are their passports. So, I agree that labour exploitation here is as rampant as the sand in the desert! Lucky I have my passport with me, my company does not get hold of our passports. It is ours and our identity, not theirs as per my bosses would tell us!
By:
Abdel Ali
Posted:
Nov 03, 2009 at 22:22
Tip of the iceberg. There are numerous human rights violations here. This as close as it gets to legalizing slavery.
By:
crusade against slavery
Posted:
Nov 03, 2009 at 15:23
@florence
"Bad plan to escape?" for what? unless you are convicted to a crime, every person has the right to travel.
There's no harm for companies keeping the passports as long as workers are free to take it anytime they want.
@sayeed
Your reasons are the common alibis of those companies that breaks this law. As if you care for them.
By:
george
Posted:
Nov 03, 2009 at 14:22
Unfortunately, as with most Laborer (Human Rights) laws being passed by the gov't. to ease the pressure being mounted by the HRC is not being enforced. These laws have become a show-off and no concrete steps are ever done. Just look at what the gov't did just to finish the Metro in time (though delayed and still incomplete up to now) they gave an exemption to their own mid-day no work rule. What then are these laws for?
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