Filipino Group in Dubai Offers Help in Rescuing Abused Maids

Some help is on hand for Filipina maids and nannies who find themselves trapped by abusive employers.

A Filipino organisation is dedicated to helping domestic workers and tracking down Filipinos involved in human trafficking and illegal recruitment activities.

The Dubai chapter of Sangguniang Masang Pilipino International (“Council of the Filipino Masses”) aims, according to Ibrahim Robel Beltran, a 40-year-old hotel security manager who joined the group when it was set up in October, to “provide security and ensure peace and order in the UAE’s Filipino community”.

“We conduct rescue operations and also look into human trafficking cases involving Filipinos,” said the former policeman, who moved to Dubai two years ago.

Its 57 members – among them safety officers, security personnel, engineers, nurses, office workers and housemaids – have so far helped more than 20 women, including Caridad, a 38-year-old housemaid in Umm al Qaiwain who has not been paid or had a day off since she started work three years ago. Caridad is still with her employer, but is planning to flee.

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