Rights of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon: Some progress made, but 'Kafala' remains in place

At the start of January, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar closed seven recruitment agencies for foreign domestic workers for failing to comply with current regulations. He told L’Orient-Le Jour it was "an administrative measure that does not require a change in the law." As part of a wider effort to combat human trafficking, he also stated that he is "cracking down on all offices that, under the guise of providing hourly cleaning services, exploit undocumented labor."The goal is to "regulate the work of agencies to ensure the rights of both the workforce and employers," at a time when Lebanon is regularly criticized by human rights organizations for forced labor practices enabled by the sponsorship system (kafala). "No agency will be allowed to operate if it does not meet the prerequisites," the...