On 9 December 2009, a criminal court judge (single judge) in Batroun sentenced a Lebanese woman who beat the Filipino maid who was working at her home to 15 days of prison, to a fine of fifty thousand Lebanese Pounds, and to payment to Jonalin Malibago, the Pilipino maid, of ten million and eight hu…
Archive for December, 2009
Lebanese woman sentenced to prison for beating her Filipino maid
December 12th, 2009
Abusive employers Housemaids Lebanon Legal cases Working conditions
Abused Maid Returns from Bahrain; No Charges Brought Against Sponsor Yet (UPDATED)
December 12th, 2009
Abusive employers Bahrain Housemaids
We’ve previously reported about the case of Lakshmi Surampudi, an Indian woman who had worked as a maid in Bahrain. She was abused for years and found malnourished and almost blind after fleeing her sponsor. She was forced to sleep on a towel on the floor, and was “regularly hit, kicked, st...
Israel to Construct a Barrier along the Border with Egypt to Prevent Entry of Migrants
December 8th, 2009
Israeli Channel 2 and the paper Maariv reported today that Prime Minister Netanyahu approved the construction of a barrier along the Israeli-Egyptian border to prevent the entry of migrant workers and asylum seekers as well as criminal elements. As we’ve mentioned before, the plan to construct...
Op-ed in a Jordanian Daily: We Need to Appreciate Migrant Workers
December 7th, 2009
The following is a translation of an op-ed appeared in the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour this week. Labor Migrants Nazih Elqusus 5 December, 2009 Labor migrants in Jordan are divided into two categories: the first being Arab laborers who come from Egypt and Syria and most of them work in the fields of ...
Kuwait’s Parliament to Vote on a New Labor Law that Grants Migrant Workers More Rights
December 5th, 2009
Kuwait Legislation Sponsorship
Kuwait’s parliament is expected to vote this week on a new labor law for the private sector. The draft of the law significantly increases the rights of most migrant workers in Kuwait. It included limiting the working hours of workers to 40 per week, prolonging maternity leaves and vacations, a...
CNN reports about wave of suicides of migrants in Lebanon
December 3rd, 2009
Documentation Lebanon Suicide Working conditions
Olivia Sterns of CNN reported Wednesday on the suicides and deaths of 10 migrant domestic workers in Lebanon between October-November, saying the deaths show the government is “doing too little to protect migrant domestic workers from severe abuse.” “In August, the Philippines Emba...
89 OFWs Awaiting Repatriation from Saudi
December 3rd, 2009
Abusive employers General Saudi Arabia Workers
89 Philippine nationals are waiting to be repatriated from Riyadh, Saudi, after quitting their jobs with a Saudi company due to labour malpractices, according to this article in The Enquirer. Their employer, Annabasan Co., reportedly withheld wages and cut payment illegally. The employees were also ...
Migrants Sue Qatari Employer for Holding Passports
December 3rd, 2009
A group of migrant workers in Qatar has taken out a lawsuit against their employer for illegally retaining their passports, according to this story in The Peninsula. The workers repeatedly asked their employer to hand over their passports, which they needed to carry out transactions in Qatar. Howev...
Lebanon’s Minister of Interior makes promises to improve migrant rights
December 3rd, 2009
Housemaids Lebanon Legislation Prison
On December 1st, Ziad Baroud, Lebanon’s Minister of Interior, informed the ambassadors of Philippine, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka that his ministry will be taking steps towards the protection of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. Such steps include moving the General Security prisons from Adlieh area...
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