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25 Nov 2020

Lebanon: First criminal case against recruiters could set a legal remedy precedent for migrant domestic workers

A case has been filed on behalf of a domestic migrant worker against its sponsor and recruiter who arranged her work and immigration to Lebanon. The case was filled before a criminal court, with the support of UN Women and Legal Action Worldwide. The lawyers argue that the treatment to which the worker was subject constitutes the “crimes of slavery, slave trading, trafficking in persons, forced labor, deprivation of liberty and withholding personal documents, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and torture.” The defendants, if found guilty, may face imprisonment of up to ten years according the Lebanese Penal Code.

An estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers work in Lebanon under the infamous Kafala system (Sponsorship). Under Kafala System, the employer sponsors the worker’s legal status in the country. Kafala system is seen as an abusive system prohibiting workers from resigning without the consent of their employers. It also allows employers to withhold their workers’ passports.

Maserat Hailu’s case has the potential to set ground-breaking precedence for legal redress for thousands of migrant domestic workers.
UN Women