“We Need to Go Home”: Migrant Workers in Lebanon Are Suffering the Consequences of Chaos
African migrant workers in Lebanon have been suffering severely since October 2019. With the country in constant turmoil, many of them were laid off from their jobs and were left either homeless or penniless or both. Following the massive explosion that took place in Beirut and left thousands of Lebanese homeless, the country on the verge of collapse, migrant workers have been demanding to return to their home countries. But so far, all their pleas have been for nothing due to negligence and irresponsibility of consular authorities.
With no accommodation, food, or money, migrant workers from Kenya are camping in front of the Kenyan consulate in Beirut, protesting for their right to be sent back home. Sadly, the authorities at the Kenyan consulate have been “very rude” to them and asked them to pay at least USD 500 to allow them to go back to their home countries. “If a Lebanese can’t afford USD 100 a month, where am I going to get USD 500 from?” said one of the workers.
A few campaigns have been launched to support these workers and demand new, more responsible representatives in their consulates. This Is Lebanon launched a campaign to send these workers back home, and the Egna Legna Besidet (Ethiopian domestic workers activists), will be hosting a live session today to talk about the current situation, as well as their work on ground, so stay tuned for updates!
