MUSCAT : Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has clarified that it has launched an investigation in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Royal Oman Police (ROP) after a report published by the British Sunday Mail newspaper stated that a group of expat women who arrived in Oman as domestic workers were subjected to deplorable living and working conditions.
According to the report, domestic workers from Zimbabwe were subjected to fraud.
However, in a detailed statement issued on Tuesday, OHRC said from the preliminary investigation, it understood that Zimbabwean women were deceived by the recruitment agencies in their countries. “They were deceived about the nature of their job, monthly wage and place of residence,” OHRC said.
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OHRC said the domestic workers should have filed their complaints to relevant authorities in Oman as per the law and regulations. “They should have reported any violation to the airport officers and submitted documents or evidence that prove that they have been subject to abuse. This is their right ad per the Omani laws and regulations,” OHRC pointed out.
OHRC emphasized that the judiciary and the competent authorities in Oman “deal with cases of physical, sexual and verbal abuse in accordance with the provisions of the Omani Penal Code and it gives appropriate human treatment that preserves the dignity of the worker and protects his/her rights. The employer has no right to seize the worker’s passport without his consent,” OHRC said.
OHRC stressed that the team follows-up action to combat human trafficking in the country which include rapid response procedures by the Royal Oman Police and the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee, in addition to coordinating with relevant bodies to provide protection, catering, health services and legal assistance.
“There is also a toll-free number to receive reports around the clock, and the committee notes that every worker has the right to register his/her complaint directly to the Ministry of Labour or the Ministry’s conciliation and reconciliation committee. In the event that the complaint is not resolved within two weeks, the competent department will refer the matter to the competent court,” OHRC added.
