Lebanon’s foreign labour is primarily constituted by an estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers, who are mostly young women (between the ages of 20 and 30) from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. Migrant workers are legally and financially reliant on their employer due the country’s kefala sponsorship system. Dependent on their employer’s consent to leave Lebanon or change jobs, migrant domestic workers face high restrictions in their freedom of movement and employment mobility. This situation further subjects workers to risk of abuse and exploitation at the hands of their employer-sponsor. In particular, such problems include harassment (e.g. verbally, physically, sexually), passport confiscation, and non-payment of wages. Not being granted time off or the ability to engage in romantic relationships, in addition to forced confinement in the employer’s home, are also commonly reported.
It is observed that such stressors put Lebanon’s migrant domestic workers at risk of developing vulnerabilities to mental health and HIV. At average of one death per week, migrant domestic workers in the country regularly attempt or commit suicide. Exacerbating these challenges, Jordan’s law enforcement and judiciary system are largely insufficient in identifying and support victims of labour exploitation. The Ministry of Labour’s Department of Labour Inspection, Prevention and Safety (DLIPS) governs labour- and employment-related concerns (e.g. trade unions, safety compliance, collective labour disputes) and manage foreign work permits. Though Jordanians and foreigners theoretically have the same access to the justice system, migrant workers are not provided with sufficient forms of legal protection by the Lebanese government.
In particular, migrant domestic workers, agricultural workers, public servants, employees of family businesses, and public servants are explicitly excluded from Lebanon’s existing labour law protections without access to basic protections such as minimum wage and time off. An employee’s transfer between employers is not always assured, even in cases of trafficking. And leaving employment without the employer’s consent is a violation of laws governing the entry, stay, exit, and occupation of foreign nationals in the country. Lebanon’s General Security agency has, moreover, reported that residency renewals may be denied to the children of non-Lebanese, low-wage migrant workers; this means that the children of migrant workers in Lebanon are not able to easily access the country’s education and healthcare systems.
Find out more about the degree of respect for worker’s rights in this country based on ITUC Global Rights Index here.