Lebanese economic crisis imperils migrant domestic workers
As Lebanon struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades, the fate of thousands of migrant domestic workers in the country hangs in balance.
The future of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon is in jeopardy as the economic crisis worsens and the Lebanese pound continues its record depreciation, making it difficult for employers to pay their staff.
Lebanon was host to an estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers prior to the economic crisis that started to shape in October 2019, most of whom are women from African and southeast Asian countries. Many of them have flown back home over the past year, but others have struggled to leave the country. Some have been left at their embassies’ doors by their employers.
Ali al-Amin, who heads a syndicate of these staffing agencies, told Al-Markazia March 2 that the entry of new migrant workers has dropped by 90% in the last year due to the economic collapse.
As the crisis deepens, many employers can no longer pay their foreign domestic workers, whose salaries are paid in dollars at an average of $300 per month. The minimum wage in Lebanon is now worth about $45, as its value drops significantly on a weekly basis with the Lebanese pound.
