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Migrant Domestic Helps in Lebanon

Bangladeshis victims of trafficking, forced labour

Reports Lebanon's state-run news agency

Staff Correspondent
Migrant domestic workers from Bangladesh and Nepal are allegedly victims of human trafficking and forced labour in Lebanon, according to a report published in Lebanon's state-owned National News Agency on Monday.
The report titled "Dreams for Sale: The Exploitation of Domestic Workers from Recruitment in Nepal and Bangladesh to Working in Lebanon" mentioned that the female domestic helps are deceived about
their work and living conditions in the Middle Eastern country.
Around 82 percent of the interviewed workers said they felt they were forced to work and over 50 percent claimed to be receiving irregular salary.
The report added that around 60 percent did not have a private place to sleep, while 32 percent were denied other rights, such as to medical treatment, or to take sick leave.
The workers are also victims of physical and sexual violence exercised by the
employers or the placement agencies.
According to the report, 46 percent were threatened, including threats of physical violence, denunciation to police, deportation, in addition to being denied basic rights, such as access to food, receiving due salary, or contacting people.
More than 10 percent of the interviewees claimed that they faced sexual violence like unwanted advances, molestation, or rape, while around 36 percent were subjected to physical violence such as beating, pushing, slapping, hair pulling, stick or belt beating, biting and hair cutting.
Besides, 62 percent faced verbal abuse by a household member, a relative, or someone from the recruitment agency.
The report said 81 percent were promised a specific salary, but 53 percent of them received a lower amount. It added that around 84 percent of workers were not informed of the working hours, weekly day off, employer's household composition, and facilities to communicate with their families.
It also mentioned that 77 percent of those interviewed worked at least 14 hours a day, 50 percent were locked inside the house, and 43 percent were not allowed to contact their families.
The placement agency in Lebanon or the recruitment agency in Bangladesh or Nepal exploits the victims in these ways, but neither the destination government nor the governments of the countries of their origin have proper monitoring to ensure the domestic helps' rights. In order to avoid being arrested, the workers are forced to forfeit their wages or any other compensations resulting from inflicted harm.
The Lebanese state agency's report recommended that the Lebanese, Bangladeshi, and Nepali governments must closely monitor placement and recruitment agencies to curb corruption and bribe to ensure domestic workers' rights.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain said they rarely received allegations from the female workers in Lebanon, but they would look into the issue.