Table of Contents
Is there slavery in Lebanon?
Two hundred and fifty thousand workers under the Kafala system in Lebanon are currently struggling to survive in an exploitative system. Conflicts within the country due to an economic recession and corruption add to the challenges these workers face.
How much do domestic workers earn in Lebanon?
Sri Lankan migrant domestic worker pay an estimated $1300–1600 to a Lebanese agent while potential workers in the Philippines and Ethiopia pay between $2,400-3500 and $1,700-2100 respectively. The Lebanese agent will also earn anything between $300 and 600 in commission in addition.
How many domestic workers are there in Lebanon?
250,000-300,000 domestic workers
Arabic for ‘sponsorship,’ kafala, which regulates the work and residency of the 250,000-300,000 domestic workers in Lebanon, has long been denounced by human rights groups as a system that allows employers to exploit and abuse workers. Domestic workers are excluded from the Lebanese Labor Law.
What is kafala Lebanon?
Originating in the Gulf, kafala ties a migrant worker’s residency in Lebanon to their employer, or kafeel (sponsor). Kafala workers rarely enjoy basic guarantees of rest days, set working hours, or freedom to switch jobs. Without a doubt, Lebanon’s economic crisis has shaken the kafala system.
What is kafala in Lebanon?
The kafala system means that a migrant domestic worker cannot simply resign if her working conditions are abusive. She would need the consent of her employer, who happens to be her abuser in these cases. These cases illustrate how the kafala system can facilitate forced labour.
Does Lebanon have the kafala system?
Why is Lebanon in a financial crisis?
After Lebanon’s 15-year civil war ended in the 1990s, the country decided to tie its currency to the U.S. dollar, rather than allowing global financial markets to determine its value. A civil war in Syria and other political tensions in the Middle East hurt Lebanon’s economy.
Who suffers from kafala?
Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are trapped in a web woven by the kafala system, an inherently abusive migration sponsorship system, which increases their risk of suffering labour exploitation, forced labour and trafficking and leaves them with little prospect of obtaining redress.
Which country has ended the kafala system?
Saudi Arabia
“Saudi Arabia has announced that it will end its notorious sponsorship or kafala system on March 14. Migrante-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, together with all OFWs in the country, is glad and jubilant and is celebrating over this historic action,” Migrante International (MI) said in a statement late on Saturday.
Why is Lebanon Water Toxic?
Lebanon’s coastal waters have shown alarming levels of metals (like mercury, lead, and copper) among other forms of hazardous bacteria. If ingested, these elements can cause immediate poisoning, and in the long-run can even lead to cancer.