Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee has noted a communication dated 27 November 2001, received from the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), which contains observations concerning the application of the Convention by Lebanon. It has noted that this communication was sent to the Government in December 2001 and March 2002, for any comments it might wish to make on the matters raised therein.

In its observations, the WCL refers to cases of the illegal abuse of migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, including non-payment of salaries, corporal punishment, sexual abuse and enforced sequestration. The WCL alleges that, from the early 1990s, there has been a particularly large influx of African and Asian women into Lebanon, serving primarily as domestic labour in private households, particularly from Sri Lanka, and that both the employment relations and social status of these women leave them extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, most of them falling under the category of "contract slavery"; the existence of abuse, violence or threat of abuse and violence, denial of basic freedom of movement and exploitative working conditions contribute to this definition.

The Committee has noted that the Government’s report contains no reference to these observations. However, the Committee has noted the information supplied by the Government in reply to its general observation of 2000 concerning measures taken to combat trafficking in persons, in which the Government indicates that persons who employ illegal migrants are punishable by law and that, in practice, the official authorities are endeavouring to stop or prohibit the illegal exaction of force labour which may be encountered by migrant workers who enter Lebanon in an illegal manner. The Committee also notes from the letter by the Legislative and Advisory Unit of the Ministry of Justice, attached to the Government’s 2003 report, that the labour legislation of Lebanon does not contain express provisions punishing trafficking in persons, although it can be punished on the basis of the Penal Code provisions in sections 514 and 515 (kidnapping).

The Committee hopes that the Government will refer to the observations by the WCL in its next report and submit its comments on the allegations made therein, as well as the information on the measures taken in relation to the matters raised.

The Committee is also addressing a request on certain other points directly to the Government.