Human Trafficking in [Lebanon Street Children in [Lebanon] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Lebanon] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery In the early
years of the 21st Century - 2000 to 2010 gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Lebanon.htm
Lebanon is a destination for Asian
and African women trafficked for the purpose of domestic servitude, and for
women from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union trafficked for the
purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Lebanese children are trafficked
within the country for the purpose of forced labor (mostly street vending),
and sexual exploitation. Women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Ethiopia
who travel to Lebanon legally to work as household servants often find
themselves in conditions of forced labor through withholding of passports,
non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or
sexual assault. In some cases, employers have kept foreign domestics confined
in houses for years. - U.S. State
Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 [full country report] |
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CAUTION: The following links have been
culled from the web to illuminate the situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Seeking Hemalatha - Letter from
Lebanon - Sri Lankan domestic missing in Lebanon Reem Haddad, New Internationalist, Nov,
2002 findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JQP/is_2002_Nov/ai_94770518/ [accessed 17 February 2011] 'Her name is Hemalatha
Mendis,' explained one official. 'We received these
photographs this morning. We don't know for sure where she is but we believe
she is being held at the agency which brought her to the country. Hundreds of such agencies have sprung up in
Lebanon over the past few years. They bring in women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines
or Ethiopia to work as maids and are notorious for abusing the women. Later that day I met with Hemalatha. Her employer had described her as 'a problem'
and had wanted to return her to the agency. This prompted the agency owner to
'take out a big stick and start beating my back, my arms and my legs,' she
said. 'I tried to cover my body but I couldn't. I was crying and my head
began to throb with pain. Once
finished, the owner turned to the employer and said: 'If you have any more
problems with her just bring her to me.' ***
ARCHIVES *** The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on the Worst Forms
of Child Labor www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/lebanon.htm [accessed 17 February 2011] INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - There have been reported cases of child prostitution and other
situations that amount to forced labor.
Although Human Rights Reports » 2005
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, March 8, 2006 www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61693.htm [accessed 17 February 2011] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – The
country was a destination for East European and Russian women, contracted as
dancers in adult clubs. Most of these women engaged in voluntary illegal
prostitution and were at risk as targets of abuse. The country was also a destination
for women from Africa and Restrictions of movement and
withholding of passports were common practice. A small number of exploited
foreign workers won cases against their employers. Non-judicial action
resolved the majority of these cases. As a result of that process, workers
frequently were repatriated without further judicial action. A few cases were
referred to the judiciary for further action, although the government took
minimal steps to prosecute traffickers. Raed Rafei in
latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/10/lebanon-human-t.html [accessed 17 February 2011] They are lured into Victims are afraid to speak out,
dreading retribution or stigmatization. Many simply do not know their rights.
Silence perpetuates the cycle of exploitation. Expert on Trafficking in Persons Ends Visit to Sigma Huda, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, statement to
media, September 15, 2005 www.humantrafficking.org/updates/314 [accessed 17 February 2011] In the course of my mission, I
have found that a significant number of human beings, women in the majority,
are trafficked into and within In Contempt of Fate - From Beatrice Fernando, iAbolish.com, July 19, 2005 interimagefilms.blogspot.com/2005/07/beatrice-fernando.html [accessed 17 February 2011] When Beatrice Fernando was 23
years old, she contracted with an agency to work in Freedom House Country Report - Political Rights: 5 Civil Liberties: 4 Status: Partly Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2009&country=7644 [accessed 17 February 2011] Human Rights Overview Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/lebanon [accessed 17 February 2011] Library of Congress Call Number DS80 .L39 1989 lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lbtoc.html [accessed 17 February 2011] FI Organises Grassroots Human
Trafficking and Forced Labour Workshop Franciscans International, www.franciscansinternational.org/news/article.php?id=453 At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here]
Sr. Herminia
Cruz, FMM, a Philippine sister, has lived and worked in the Middle East for
24 years. In Lebanon, like other countries who “host” trafficked persons, human
rights violations are common occurrences. Victims frequently experience
sexual and physical abuse, confiscation of their identity documents and
confinement. “Migrant workers are
crying for help; I hope that I can give them justice through their rights
being respected. We need to coordinate more with NGOs, especially FI,” the
Franciscan sister reflected. Seeking Hemalatha - Letter from
Lebanon - Sri Lankan domestic missing in Lebanon Reem Haddad, New Internationalist, Nov,
2002 findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JQP/is_2002_Nov/ai_94770518/ [accessed 17 February 2011] 'Her name is Hemalatha
Mendis,' explained one official. 'We received these
photographs this morning. We don't know for sure where she is but we believe
she is being held at the agency which brought her to the country. Hundreds of such agencies have sprung up in
Lebanon over the past few years. They bring in women from Sri Lanka, the
Philippines or Ethiopia to work as maids and are notorious for abusing the
women. Later that day I met with Hemalatha. Her employer had described her as 'a problem'
and had wanted to return her to the agency. This prompted the agency owner to
'take out a big stick and start beating my back, my arms and my legs,' she
said. 'I tried to cover my body but I couldn't. I was crying and my head
began to throb with pain. Once
finished, the owner turned to the employer and said: 'If you have any more
problems with her just bring her to me.' Work Worries - Women going abroad to work is leading to
more human trafficking Lanka Business Online, 04 Mar 2005 www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1777048731 [accessed 17 February 2011] Sri Lankan women are trafficked to
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Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking
& Modern-day Slavery - |
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Human Trafficking in [Lebanon Street Children in [Lebanon] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Lebanon] [other countries]