BEIRUT — Last week, Lebanese General Security issued a decision to no longer allow employers to file criminal complaints against migrant domestic workers for “running away” from their workplace.
It was hailed as a new victory in the fight against the kafala, or sponsorship, system that controls the relationship between employers and domestic workers. However, advocates say there is still a long way to go towards dismantling what many see as an oppressive system that deprives these workers — most of them women — of their rights and leaves them vulnerable to abuse.
Here’s what the decision means and how it fits into broader efforts to combat the abuse of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon.