Saudi hotel used to lure Filipino domestic workers

Filipino workers queue for applications at a job fair hiring for overseas roles [image for illustrative purposes only]

A recruitment agency in the Philippines which illegally deployed workers under the name of Al Jahora Al Raqia Hotel in Saudi Arabia has been punished by authorities.

Raysa International Smart Employment Services was found to have been recruiting and deploying employees who thought they would be working in a hotel, but actually ended up working as household service workers in Saudi Arabia, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

The nefarious activity came to light after a female overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was found by police, wandering in Tabuk City, in the north-west of Saudi Arabia.

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She was brought to the attention of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jeddah, which discovered that the worker had been deployed by Raysa International to work as laundry girl at Al Jahora Al Raqia Hotel.

However, the manager of the hotel denied recruiting the OFW and said the property had only engaged the services of Raysa International to recruit three male Filipino workers, with no visas for female workers issued to the agency.

"The worker alleged that when she arrived in Riyadh, she was made to stay in a big house with other female workers of different nationalities," the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration explained.

"After four days of waiting to be brought to the hotel, an Arab couple fetched her and they travelled by bus to Jeddah where she worked for a family as domestic helper.

"Her employer released her to the Saudi broker after 10 days because she doesn’t speak or understand Arabic language. She worked for another household in Tabuk City but left after four months when the employer maltreated her and the employer’s son stole SR3000 (US $800) from her."

Raysa International Smart Employment Services has now been put under preventative suspension, meaning it cannot engage in the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers overseas while under preventive suspension.