Labor Minister admit not being able to manage and control foreign labor

In an interview with daily Al Diyar, the Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi clarified his ministry’s determination to control illegal Syrian labor force in Lebanon by every possible means. He listed several measures taken so far as follows: stringent mechanisms in granting work permits; intensive investigative and inspection action; issuance of violation control records against law defying institutions and record keeping by the General Security of all Syrians entering or leaving the country. However, Azzi admitted not being able to properly manage the situation because of low staffing while throwing the blame on employers and agencies who recruit Syrian laborers through illegal and twisted manners. He also reiterated that the fines on violators are set at LBP 2700 thousand. Azzi stated that his ministry has approved only 900 out of 2600 work applications it received recently. In his response to the series of protests and complaints by agricultural unions and contractors against the so-called Kafala sponsorship system, Azzi chose not to address the problem of labor shortage while arguing that the Kafala system is internationally recognized and is not peculiar to Lebanon. He described requests to cancel the GS or insurance fees or reduce the Labor Ministry fees as unlawful. (Al Diyar, 26 June 2015)