Again? Filipino women arrested attempting to fly to Lebanon

Similar information was reported earlier this month: The Philippine's Bureau of Immigration prevents 9 women from illegally flying to Lebanon

Hunt down recruiters of OFWs who pose as nuns - religious group By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated January 31, 2011

The article from the Daily Star, Monday, January 31, 2011:

MANILA: Six women were detained at Manila airport after being caught trying to sneak into Lebanon dressed as nuns in a bid to get around a travel ban to the country, the immigration bureau said Saturday

The women were pretending to be on their way to Hong Kong for a religious seminar but their unusual dress and behavior alerted officials, the bureau said.

Under questioning they eventually admitted they were on

Human Rights Watch Podcast on Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon and the Middle East

http://www.hrw.org/en/audio/2011/01/21/migrant-domestic-workers-middle-east

Middle East/Asia: Partial Reforms Fail Migrant Domestic Workers

The reforms undertaken by Middle Eastern and Asian governments fall far short of the minimum protections needed to tackle abuses against migrant domestic workers, Human Rights Watch said today in a report released in advance of May 1, International Labor Day. Despite recent improvements, millions of Asian and African women workers remain at high risk of exploitation and violence, with little hope of redress, Human Rights Watch said.

Continue reading: http://www.maidinsingapore.net/?p=581

Sri Lankan male worker attacked and beaten by Lebanese

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported today that a Sri Lankan male worker was attacked and beaten by a group of young Lebanese a few days ago in Dekwaneh, as reported by security forces.

الاعتداء على مواطن سريلنكي

أقدم عدد من الشبان، بينهم رودي م. على ضرب العامل السريلنكي أشنيكرشا ز. أول من أمس في الدكوانة. جاء في بلاغ ورد إلى قوى الأمن أن خلافاً كان قد وقع قبل أيام بين رودي وأشنيكرشا.

Ethiopian domestic worker found dead, probably due to suffocation

The National News Agency reported today that an Ethiopian domestic worker found dead in Roum, a village in South Lebanon, today at 8 in the morning. Mesarat Ehidelo's body was found in the house of Samir Nemer, and the probable cause of death, according to initial information, is the use of coal for heating. Security forces are investigating.

متفرقات - العثور على جثة عاملة اثيوبية في روم 

وطنية 17/1/2011 - افادت مندوبة "الوكالة الوطنية للاعلام" في جزين، كلودين نحاس، انه عند الثامنة من صباح اليوم وجدت العاملة الاثيوبية مسرات ايهيدلو جثة هامدة في منزل السيد سمير نمر في بلدة روم.

ويرجح حسب المعلومات الاولية ان سبب الوفاة قد يكون ناتجا عن استعمالها الفحم للتدفئة. وقد باشرت الاجهزة الامنية تحقيقاتها.

The 2011 Human Rights Film Festival, 27th to 30th of January at Cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil, Beirut

The 2011 Human Rights Film Festival will take place from 27th to 30th of January 2011 at Cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil, Beirut.

The event will last 4 days and each one will focus on a specific human right issue:
Women's rights - 27/01/2011
Refugees' rights - 28/01/2011
Migrants' rights and discrimination - 29/01/2011
Detainees' rights and arbitrary detention - 30/01/2011

Information: http://humanrights-lb.org/filmfestival/about.htm
Program: http://humanrights-lb.org/filmfestival/program.htm

Saturday 29th January 2011 will be on Migrants' rights and discrimination and will feature a panel on Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon and open discussion with Dr Ray Jureidini – Professor at the LAU and human rights activist / Mr Nadim Houry – Director of Human Rights Watch / Dr Boutros Harb - Minister of Labour.
  
18.00 - Sayda by Michael Abi Khalil
18.20 - Les Femmes Bonnes by Corine Shawi

19.25 - Jadayel by Multimedia Virtual Space for Human Rights

19.30 - Being a Domestic Worker: Sri Lankiete Libnanieh by Wissam Saliby

19.35 - Merci Madame Najem by Toni Oyry & Maha Taki

19.45 - Forum Theatre about Migrant Workers by "Live Lactic Culture – Laban"

20.15 - Speaker presentation on Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon and open discussion with Dr Ray Jureidini – Professor at the LAU and human rights activist / Mr Nadim Houry – Director of Human Rights Watch / Dr Boutros Harb - Minister of Labour

21.00 - Break

21.20 - Zourouni koulli sana marra (Visit me once a year) by Eli Alexandre Habib 

21.40 - How Bitter My Sweet by Mohamed Soueid

23.10 - Fabraka by Eli Alexandre Habib

PHOTO EXIBITION "Unseen lives: Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon" by Matthew Cassel, Kafa (Enough) Violence & Exploitation

Inside Shankaboot: A Domestic Worker in Lebanon

"After madam Najem polished the image of Lebanon with her views on domestic workers, It time now for Doulica to speak out." Doulika is the star of "My Sri Lankan is Lebanese".

10 Nepalese dead in Lebanon in 2010

More than 800 Nepali migrant workers lost their lives last year while working abroad.
(...)
Malaysia claimed 217 lives, followed by Qatar (192), the UAE (84), and Lebanon (10).

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Over+800+workers+died+abroad%2C+160+suicides+&NewsID=272935

This Wednesday: Aimee talks about her activism with migrant women workers in Lebanon

January 12, at 7:00 p.m. at Nasawiya House in Ashrafieh- Shahrouri- Infont of Laure Mghaizel School- Braidi Bldg- 1st Flr.

Aimee is a migrant community leader from Madagascar. She has been in Lebanon for the past 13 years. She is superwoman for those who know her and work with her, an inspiration to many, a godmother to all. Aimee's involvement is not only limited to her country mates but most migrant nationalities in Lebanon.

Nasawiya is hosting Aimee to hear about her work, the cases she handles, the problems she faces, the success stories she has encountered and more.

Aimee has tons to say and there are tons we can work on together. So let us start by attending her talk and showing her as much as support as we can.

For more information, check the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191101827569146

Caritas and Regular Contracts

Martina Liebsch, head of policy for Caritas International, says that Caritas Lebanon was able to ensure that domestic workers are now granted regular contracts.
I wonder to which extent this is TRUE?

Philippine-Lebanon talks may lead to lifting of deployment ban

The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is currently negotiating with the Lebanese government for a possible lifting of the country’s total deployment ban to the Middle East country.

In a release posted Monday on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto Asuque said the embassy is working with the Lebanese government for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Labor Cooperation that will ensure protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

Asuque said such measures must be in line with the requirements of Republic Act 10022, which amends the Magna Carta for Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos.

RA 10022, Asuque noted, outlines specific conditions that must exist in the receiving country before OFWs are allowed to be recruited and deployed there.

The Philippines has stopped sending Filipino workers to Lebanon in mid-2006 at the height of fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces.

Philippine and Lebanese authorities have been meeting since 2009

The Philippine's Bureau of Immigration prevents 9 women from illegally flying to Lebanon

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration said on Thursday it has intercepted nine Lebanon-bound women who attempted to leave the country via Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) using passports with fake immigration departure stamps.
BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma, in a statement, confirmed that the women—stopped by immigration agents as they were about to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Singapore on Monday—were indeed victims of human trafficking.
Ledesma said the would-be OFWs were hurriedly walking past the immigration counters when they were spotted by members of the BI’s travel control enforcement unit (TCEU) at the NAIA and accosted them.
“They evaded inspection by our immigration officers because it turned out that their passports already had fake immigration departure stamps,” the BI chief added.
The agency said the women planned to work as domestic helpers and would use Singapore as a jump-off point to the Lebanese capital Beirut.
The Philippine government maintains a ban on the deployment ban for overseas Filipino workers to Lebanon because of security concerns and rampant labor rights violations there.
“It is obvious that the human trafficking syndicates

Aimee, Malagasy Community Leader in Lebanon, Reflecting on 2010

Aimee starred in Sri Lankiete Libanieh.

Deadly Filipino Fall in Ras Beirut

The National News Agency reported today the fall of Filipino domestic worker, Ama Mary Garcia, born in 1983, from the 8th floor of her employer's house, Ahmad El Yafawi in Ras Beirut. No exact time or date were given. She died immediately and investigations were initiated by the prosecution.

سقطت الخادمة الفلبينية آما ماري غارسيا من مواليد 1983 من الطابق الثامن لمنزل مخدومها احمد اليافاوي في محلة رأس بيروت زاروب الخنكرلي، ما أدى الى مصرعها على الفور وقد بدات التحقيقات، بناء لاشارة النيابة العامة

Ethiopian Suicide in an Employment Office in Nabatieh

The National News Agency reported yesterday the presumed suicide of an Ethiopian domestic workers in the Nour employment office, by hanging herself using an electrical wire. The public prosecution charged security forces with the investigation.

01/01/11 14:45

في النبطية ايضا، اقدمت خادمة اثيوبية في مكتب نور للخدم على شنق نفسها بشريط كهربائي وقضت. وقد كلفت النيابة العامة قوى الامن التحقيق في الحادث . 

تحديث
وفاة إثيوبية
عُثر على جثة العاملة الإثيوبية آنشا محمد (25 عاماً) داخل مكتب لتشغيل عمال المنازل في النبطية. جاء في بلاغ أمني أن طبيباً شرعياً كشف على الراحلة وخلص إلى أنها أقدمت على الانتحار بشنق نفسها بشريط كهربائي يعود للهاتف.
جريدة الأخبار، العدد ١٣٠٥ الاثنين ٣ كانون الثاني ٢٠١٠