Foreign Maids Beaten, Raped

Foreign maids are being abused by employers and recruitment agencies, the pro-government website DamasPost reported on June 1.



The employment agencies which bring the maids to Syria charge them commission as well as air fares – both of which their sponsors are supposed to pay under Syrian law, said the website.



It accused employment agencies of treating the women as saleable commodities.



One Filipino maid told a DamasPost reporter that a potential employer photographed her from different angles, ostensibly so his wife could make a decision on whether to hire her. She said the man then hired her and raped her.



Another woman reported being beaten and ill-treated by the family which hired her, adding that she received no help from the agency that had brought her in to the country.



Other maids complained of living in poor conditions, which they likened to being held in detention.



DamasPost said such abuse generally takes place with impunity, partly because corruption is so common in Syria.