After spending another year documenting abuses of migrant workers in the Middle East, it’s time that we look back at the most significant, influential and important stories that we’ve covered.
1. Death of Domestic Migrant Workers in Lebanon
This story is significant not just because of t…
Archive for the ‘Legal cases’ Category
Top 5 Migrants’ Rights Stories in the Middle East for 2009
January 2nd, 2010
Bahrain Housemaids Kuwait Lebanon Legislation MR Site Sponsorship Suicide UAE Working conditions
UAE: Couple Guilty of Forcing Three Women into Prostitution Receives Lenient Sentence
December 26th, 2009
The Gulf News reported earlier this week that the Iraqi couple that forced two women and one girl into prostitution in the UAE, was sentenced to three years in prison each. As we’ve previously mentioned, the couple held a 17-year-old girl and two Iraqi women in an apartment in Sharjah and forc...
The dreams of foreign maids in Lebanon turn into nightmares
December 25th, 2009
Abusive employers Housemaids Lebanon Legal cases Slavery Suicide
The following is a translation on an article that appeared in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat last week. The dreams of foreign maids in Lebanon turn into nightmares The rise of suicide rates to one case a week due to maltreatment, and humanitarian organizations ring the alarm bells Friday, 18 De...
Abusive Employer to be Tried in the UAE
December 25th, 2009
Abusive employers Housemaids Legal cases Slavery UAE
A Filipino maid who was abused by her employer will testify before a court in Ajman, UAE in two weeks, the National Newspaper reported today. According to the report, the 25-year-old maid, Marilyn Vinluan, was repeatedly slapped, kicked and beaten with an electrical wire by her female employer, whil...
HRW Overview of Migrant Workers Rights in the Middle East in 2009
December 20th, 2009
Egypt Housemaids Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Legislation Saudi Arabia Sponsorship Suicide UAE
Human Rights Watch (HRW) published last week a summary of the reports and research they’ve conducted over the last year on migrant rights. The end-year report highlighted the lack of protection of migrant workers in many Middle Eastern countries. In Kuwait, the report focused on the Sponsorshi...
List of proposed solutions to insure the rights of foreign maids in Lebanon
December 17th, 2009
Housemaids Lebanon Legislation Sponsorship
The following is a listing solutions and measures meant to secure the fundamental rights of female migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. These proposals have been collected in reports, studies and press releases from Human Right Watch, the International Labour Organization and Caritas-Lebanon. They a...
Lebanese woman sentenced to prison for beating her Filipino maid
December 12th, 2009
Abusive employers Housemaids Lebanon Legal cases Working conditions
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...
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...
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...
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