In a significant enforcement action against illegal recruitment practices, the United Arab Emirates has terminated 230 social media accounts throughout 2025 for promoting unlicensed domestic worker hiring services. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced this crackdown on February 11, 2026, revealing that these accounts operated without official ministry licenses or affiliations with authorized recruitment agencies.
The ministry emphasized that these unauthorized operations constitute clear violations of the UAE’s Domestic Workers Law, carrying potential legal consequences for both the unlicensed operators and employers who engage their services. Officials warned that dealing with unlicensed recruiters jeopardizes employers’ legal protections and bypasses critical mandatory procedures including comprehensive medical examinations, background verification checks, and conduct assessments.
Licensed recruitment offices in the UAE adhere to strict service quality standards and operate under specific terms and conditions, including approved pricing structures within comprehensive service packages. These authorized agencies provide trained and qualified domestic workers capable of delivering required services while maintaining safe and healthy family environments.
Emirati families and resident employers have been strongly advised to exclusively utilize licensed domestic worker recruitment offices. The ministry has encouraged the public to report suspicious advertisements or unethical practices on social media platforms through the dedicated hotline 600590000. Additionally, citizens can verify licensed agencies through the official list available on the ministry’s website.
This enforcement action follows previous warnings from Dubai Police about fraudulent recruitment advertisements on social media platforms, indicating an ongoing coordinated effort to regulate the domestic worker recruitment sector and protect both employers and workers from exploitation.