Dubai, Oct 12 (Emirates 24x7): Failure on the part of a sponsor to report an absconding household worker (servant, nanny, cook, driver, gardener, etc.) will attract a hefty fine of Dh50,000, the head of Dubai’s immigration department has clarified.

“In case of failure of a sponsor to file a [missing worker] report to the General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, the employee will be fined Dh50,000 because the sponsor is responsible for the sponsored person,” Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Marri, Director-General of the Dubai General Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, said in comments made to Arabic daily Al Bayan.

On the other hand, if the sponsor does file the report as required by law, he will be exempted from paying for the return flight of the absconding worker, Al Marri said, and explained that “this action [has been] taken by the department to ease the financial burden on the sponsors in case of an absconding servant.”

Al-Merri reiterated that sponsors should immediately report absconding workers to the department as “the sponsor in such case is obliged to open a report of escaping the laborer because this report is to protect the sponsor’s legal rights”.

Al Marri pointed out that if a worker escapes and is caught working at another place, the sponsor will not be forced to pay either the return ticket to the absconding laborer or the Dh50,000 fine provided that sponsor has filed a report about the absconding worker with the department.

He added that “there has been a significant decline in the reports of absconding servants this year compared to previous years, and that this is due to the increase in awareness between the employer and their employees.”

Maj. Gen. Al Marri said “the proportion of reports of escaping laborers, particularly the servants, cook, gardeners, drivers etc. is not high compared to the number of residence permits issued by the department annually, and accounts for about only 3 per cent of the total number of residence permits issued.”