No visas, Dh81k fines: How a Dubai expat helped 8 workers get their passports back

Jessica Madi got Dubai Police to intervene and get the workers' documentation back

- Ajanta Paul

A UAE resident has become something of an unexpected hero for a group of undocumented workers after she took it upon herself to help them break away from an employer.

British expat Jessica Madi often booked the domestic services of one of the workers, 36-year-old Noresil (full name withheld on request), on an hourly basis from a leading cleaning agency in the UAE. But when the Filipina arrived at Jessica's home on April 9, limping due to a foot injury, it sparked a series of events that have given Noresil and others hope in an otherwise difficult situation.

"I asked if she had seen a doctor," recalled Jessica, 30. "She told me she couldn't afford to take a day off or visit a clinic; she had no health insurance because she didn't have a valid work visa. I was surprised, as working in the UAE without a permit is illegal."

They sat down and dialled Noresil's employer, N.E. (full name withheld), who "screamed at the worker and threw insults at her", according to Jessica, who overheard the conversation. When she intervened, he claimed Noresil's visa was "under process". However, the Filipina said she'd been working for him for over four months. In the UAE, employment visas are usually processed within a week.

Jessica raised a complaint with Justlife, the platform she used to book the service. "I got a call back within 10 minutes, and they said Noresil wasn't their employee but was outsourced," Jessica said. "I booked the service through them, not an unknown agency they outsource from, so I expected them to have conducted due diligence."

Noresil had originally arrived in the UAE from the Philippines in 2022. She worked as a housemaid in Al Ain for two years and, when her contract expired, re-entered the country on a visit visa while continuing her job search.