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3 Ways to Help Lebanon’s Migrant Workers

August 18, 2020
Ethiopian domestic workers wearing masks sit together with their belongings in front of the Ethiopian consulate in Hazmiyeh, Lebanon, June 8, 2020. (Photo: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Lebanon is facing one of the biggest crises in its history in the aftermath of the Beirut blast, which has left the city in ruin. Compounded by economic hardship, political upheaval, popular unrest, a global pandemic, and a crackdown by the regime on dissent, Lebanese society is bracing for tough times ahead. One segment of society for which hardship predates the disastrous blast is the county’s migrant community, specifically African domestic workers. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Lebanon has approximately 250,000 migrant domestic workers, the majority of whom are women from African and South East Asian countries. Migrant labour, namely in the contraction and domestic labour fields, in Lebanon and Arab Gulf countries is regulated under the Kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives local employers undue control over their foreign employees and is often compared to modern-day slavery.   View this post on Instagram   Following the #BeirutBlast now more than ever we urge the government to end all reparation requirements These women need to be sent home now! Last week Banchi Yimer (@BanchiELB) the founder of @egnalegna tweeted these words below… “We call upon Lebanese government to treat our…


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