Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

'Treated Like Slaves', Migrant Workers Bear Brunt of Lebanon Crisis

'Treated Like Slaves', Migrant Workers Bear Brunt of Lebanon Crisis

Chanting their national anthem in the departure hall of Beirut airport, a group of migrant workers prepared to return home and close a chapter on their time in Lebanon which drove some to despair,
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which supports many domestic workers in Lebanon, says as many as 10,000 migrants have asked to be repatriated because their wages collapsed after the country plunged into a deep financial crisis a year ago.

Many employers stopped paying salaries in dollars and some foreign workers said they were leaving with their wages unpaid.

The numbers of those asking to go home increased further after the huge explosion which struck Beirut in August, the International Labour Organisation said.

The IOM's Dima Haddad said UN agencies in Lebanon had found "shocking numbers" of vulnerable migrant workers. She said 50% of those they interviewed said they could not pay rent, of which 34% said they were borrowing money to cover basic needs.

"They treat us like slaves," said a 25-year-old domestic worker heading home after what she said were months of hardship at the hands of her employers that led her in February to jump from the third floor of the house she worked in.

She survived but, without work and alone on the streets, she faced destitution as the coronavirus pandemic compounded Lebanon's economic problems.

"After jumping ... I thought I would die but God made it possible for me," she said, recalling how she found help through other migrant workers.

"I am begging everybody, anyone not to step their feet in this country. It is really not easy," she said from a hotel room in a Beirut suburb where she and other women where preparing to fly home.

She spoke on condition that she not be identified, and the IOM asked that her nationality not be specified, but most migrant domestic workers in Lebanon come from Africa and southeast Asia.

Another worker preparing to be repatriated said she came to Lebanon for secretarial work but found herself working as a maid, moved from one household to another by a local agent.

When she begged to be sent home she was told to complete her two-year contract first. Under Lebanon's 'kafala' (sponsorship) regulations, which give employers the right to hold the passports of their domestic workers, she was trapped.

Many of the estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are excluded from protection under Lebanon's labour laws, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, rights groups say.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes the kafala system as a restrictive regime which "ties migrant workers’ legal residency to their employer".

Amendments to the system last month provide guarantees for workers including 48-hour work weeks, a rest day, overtime payment, as well as sick and annual leaves. Workers can now terminate their contracts without their employer's consent.

HRW welcomed the reforms as a step towards protecting workers’ rights and abolishing the "kafala system" if they were accompanied by a stringent enforcement mechanism. The IOM said it was a positive move.

"But we must have practical steps to guarantee the execution of this decision so this contract does not remain just ink on paper," Haddad said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×