Migrant Workers

Pushbacks from Cyprus to Lebanon leads to chain refoulement to Syria

On 16 May 2021, a boat left Lebanon with 56 migrants on board (39 men, seven women and ten children) and was located off the coast of Cyprus, approximately 16 nautical miles south of Cyprus’ Cape Greco. Cypriot authorities checked the documents of the people on board and then denied entry to Cyprus and pushed [...]

Brussels 5 SitRep – Migration and Freedom of Movement

This brief has been produced by the Persons Affected by the Syrian Crisis Working Group (PASC WG) ahead of the Brussels V Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region. The PASC WG is a network of 26 local Non-Governmental Organizations supporting vulnerable Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians. It aims to amplify the capacity [...]

Keeping Track of Commitments

by Francisca AnkrahPrograms Manager, ALEF act for human rights The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has often been criticized by governments and NGOs alike as inefficient, which is certainly the case when states treat it exclusively as an elaborate reporting exercise that repeats itself every five years. The UPR’s purpose lies in its process more than [...]

Annual Report 2018

The Situation of Human Rights in Lebanon In 2018, the Lebanese government took some positive steps towards promoting human rights and showed willingness to comply with certain human rights matters. However, it clearly lacked the capacity and political will to further improve legislation, enforce laws, uphold the country’s international obligations, and create meaningful change. This [...]

Towards Increased Protection for Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon – Protection Framework

The current system of recruiting and employing migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Lebanon generates abuse, inefficiency, and injustices. ALEF – Act for Human Rights has therefore produced this Protection Framework to analyze the problems and propose solutions to the MDW employment system. This Protection Framework was developed through desk research and consultative meetings with stakeholders. [...]

Progress on the Recommendations of the Second Cycle of Lebanon’s Universal Periodic Review: the Rights of Migrants and the Prohibition of Slavery and Trafficking

Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon face widespread human rights violations and poor protection caused by the sponsorship system, among other violations, that transforms the status of migrant workers to victims of trafficking as well as by the weak Lebanese protection framework which renders migrant workers constantly at risk of abuse. As the violations to their [...]

Prohibition of slavery and trafficking: Following up on commitments of Lebanon’s 2015 Universal Periodic Review

Lebanon is a destination country for internationally trafficked persons, primarily women. Women from different countries of origin travel to Lebanon, in the belief that they will work as domestic workers and have reportedly been forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. This paper presents the results of a monitoring report that rates key duty bearers [...]

Promotion and Protection of Rights of Migrant Domestic Workers: Following up on commitments of Lebanon’s 2015 Universal Periodic Review

Although Lebanon has supported, and hence committed to several UPR recommendations to improve the situation of MDWs, their situation remains unchanged. In response to these shortcomings, this paper presents the first results of a Monitoring Report that rates key duty bearers on their progress between 2015 and 2018 in achieving recommendations from Lebanon’s 2015 UPR [...]

Migrant Domestic Workers and Human Trafficking Indicators: A Guidebook to Measurement and Implementation for CSOs in Lebanon

In 2015, Lebanon expressed its support to several Universal Periodic Review recommendations to improve the situation of migrant domestic workers, combat trafficking, and support its victims. Although this means that the State commits to undertaking these recommendations, it is difficult to monitor whether real change has been made on these issues, especially due to the [...]

The Situation of Human Rights in Lebanon -2017

In 2017, Lebanese Parliament amended and passed several laws that improve human rights in Lebanon and reaffirm the realization of several efforts by Lebanese civil society in areas concerning elections, transparency, women’s rights, and torture prevention. Recent legislative reforms include changing the electoral law and the prohibition of marital rape, as well as the criminalization [...]