Why is The Kafala System in Lebanon Bad?

Calls to abolish Lebanon’s kafala sponsorship system for migrant domestic workers have been on the rise after recent high-profile reports detailed shocking levels of abuse, in line with years of similar evidence.

The system “has trapped migrant domestic workers in a nightmarish web of abuse ranging from exploitative working conditions to forced labor and human trafficking,” according to a recent report by Amnesty International.

In Lebanon, domestic workers are explicitly excluded from the labor law by the legislation’s Article 7. This means that the estimated quarter of a million domestic workers residing in the country are not afforded the labor protections that other Lebanese or foreign workers are granted, including daily and weekly rest hours, overtime compensation and annual, maternity and sick leave.

English | May 20, 2019

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