New work contract makes progress against kafala in Lebanon, but more action needed

A new work contract allowing foreign domestic workers to resign while keeping their passport has brought Lebanon a step closer to the end of the exploitative kafala system, but campaigners have been wary of undue celebration.

The revised legal document, approved yesterday by the labor ministry in Beirut, replaces a 2009 version and makes several much-needed improvements to migrant workers’ rights.

Until now, foreign domestic workers were unable to resign or change employers without becoming undocumented, a major contributing factor to the rampant exploitation the group faces in the country.

English | September 17, 2020

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