Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian workers in Lebanon could be left without legal protections and minimum wage requirements, as revealed by a recently signed bilateral labour agreement between the two countries.
The undisclosed agreement, signed in April, was publicly promoted by officials from Ethiopia and Lebanon, but a leaked 12-page draft and eight-page worker contract seen by Middle East Eye has raised concerns regarding the rights of workers.
For decades, the Middle East has been a popular destination for women in Asia and Africa seeking employment as domestic workers, with Lebanon being one of the most sought-after countries.
Recent studies have shown that over two-thirds of foreign workers in Lebanon have experienced sexual harassment on the job, revealing a system where widespread abuse is rife.
In 2020, Lebanon’s former labour minister admitted that failing to abolish the kafala system was a “stain on Lebanon’s reputation,” while his successor’s moderate reform proposal to improve worker contracts was blocked by a group of Lebanese foreign worker recruitment agencies.
The current situation remains bleak for foreign domestic workers in Lebanon, who continue to face exploitation and abuse on a daily basis.
The lifting of Ethiopia’s 15-year ban on economic migration to Lebanon was marked by a formal agreement signed by labour ministers from both nations in Beirut on 11 April.
Since a devastating civil war that broke out in 2020 left hundreds of thousands dead and Ethiopia’s economy in ruins, the country has been eagerly seeking foreign currency injections through remittances from migrant workers in the Middle East.
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