Migrant women workers in Lebanon in the laws and in practice and the double jeopardy facing foreign women married to Palestinian refugees

82% of migrant women workers (MWW) in Lebanon are bound into forced labor whereas 62% of them work between 16 to 20 hours a day and 53% work for more than 17 hours a day.  54% have their salaries confiscated for one or more months and 90% are not allowed to travel on their won.  In addition some 91% are not allowed to have a week-end break and 50% are locked at home.  According to the same source, 10% of MWW are subjected to sexual violence through intimate touching reaching to rape.  The study undertaken by Kafa association also revealed that intermediaries and employment offices in the home countries often abuse the vulnerable situation of workers from Nepal and Bangladesh giving them false information about the nature of the work they are brought into.

The above findings were the result of a study implemented by Kafa and the Legal Agenda, entitled “Trafficking migrant domestic workers from Nepal and Bangladesh into Lebanon” and intended to document some of the violations against migrant women domestic workers in an effort to compare them with the known indicators of trafficking and forced labor.  These results were shared during a press conference, entitled “Promoting Migrant Domestic Workers' Rights by Addressing the Migration Continuum between Origin Country and Lebanon”, and organised yesterday by Kafa in collaboration with Anti-Slavery International, and the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). The event revealed the clear discrepancy between the actual situation of migrant women workers and the aspirations of civil society organisations on the one hand, and the policies of the Ministry of Labor and the procedures it follows on the other.  As Safir newspaper, which covered the press conference, noted that the results of the study shows a definite match with indicators used to assess trafficking and forced labor.  For his part the Minister of Labor, Selim Jreissaty, painted a rosy picture of the achievements of his Ministry thus far, at a time when civil society organisations are openly demanding that MWW be integrated in the Lebanese labor law.  The Minister insisted that a special new law for migrant worker was prepared for discussion within the cabinet that places MWW outside the remit of the labor law.  He also dismissed any possibility that the National Employment Agency be entrusted with the recruitment of MWW, while describing the latter agency as a dead corpse.
In another vein, As Safir published a report about the situation of foreign women married to Palestinian refugees and the difficulties they are facing in acquiring residency permits and authorizations to enter some camps such as Ain el Helweh.  The report quoted a young Palestinian man married to an Algerian woman who noted that although there have been several demand memos submitted to the Lebanese government with regards to the civil rights of Palestinian refugees residing in Lebanon, however, none of these memos addressed the issue of Palestinians married to Arab and foreign women despite their high number which is estimated at 5000 people.  The report ends by pointing out to clause 12th of the Constitution, and which accordingly three years renewable residency permits are issued to those wishing to live in Lebanon provided a cost of 300,000 annually and 1,500,000 for those who wish to work.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 15 January 2014