Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Sunday, July 13, 2025
    961
    Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok
    • Breaking News
    • Guides
    • Food & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Join the Team
    • Whatsapp
      • 961
      • 961 News
    Advertise with Us Get the App
    961
    Home»News»Lebanon News
    JOSEPH EID AFP | Alsharq Al-Awsat
    3 Mins Read

    Dozens of Ethiopian Househelpers Left Homeless By Their Employers Were Given Shelter In Beirut Hotel

    By Hussein YassineJune 5, 2020Updated:June 17, 2021
    Facebook WhatsApp Copy Link

    The Lebanese economy has not only been tough on its nationals. One recent attestation of this is the scene that took place on Wednesday night when several Ethiopian workers camped in front of their country’s consulate, crying for a place to sleep in.

    The domestic workers had been staying in front of the Ethiopian consulate in Beirut after their employers kicked them out of their houses, due to being no longer able to pay them for their services.

    And just like that, 35 migrants – and those are just the very few that were lucky to be caught in the spotlight – were stranded on the street.

    Ethiopian worker in Lebanon
    Asharq Al-Awsat

    “Lucky” because the Minister of Labor, Lamia Yammine Douaihy, heard their cries and secured them a temporary shelter to get them off the pavement.

    Under the supervision of the Labor Ministry, and in coordination with the Tourism Ministry and the Ethiopian Consulate, the foreigners were transported by two tourist buses to a hotel in Beirut.

    There, the 35 homeless Ethiopians were given 30 rooms to stay in temporarily.

    Meanwhile, the ministry began to reach out to international agencies and the Ethiopian Consulate “to look for a long-term solution,” Labor Ministry spokesman Hussein Zalghout told AFP.

    The minister of Labor in #Lebanon took immediate action last night by moving the Ethiopian women to a temporary hotel until their return to Ethiopia is granted.

    The minister said that employers who threw these women out will be identified and held accountable. pic.twitter.com/mlRQomsaJH

    — Luna Safwan – لونا صفوان (@LunaSafwan) June 4, 2020

    Commenting on the incident, the spokesman said the employers who are throwing house helpers out “will be punished by law and will be placed on a blacklist that prevents them from hiring foreign domestic workers again.”

    On Thursday, the ministry declared that the Ethiopian workers were subjected to PCR tests and transported from the hotel to Caritas Lebanon’s custody.

    The humanitarian organization announced its intent to look into the incident and take legal action against the migrants’ employers if it finds that violations were committed against any of the workers.

    The moment another luxurious car dropped a migrant worker in front of the Ethiopian consulate in #Lebanon – the driver said the lady wants to go back to Ethiopia. He said the family is doing what she asked for and she has her passport. pic.twitter.com/EZ2XmkhxHN

    — Luna Safwan – لونا صفوان (@LunaSafwan) June 4, 2020

    Right now, there are nearly 500,000 foreign domestic workers of various nationalities in Lebanon, an estimated 400,000 of whom are Ethiopian, and many of them are being paid in the depreciating Lebanese currency or not paid at all and dumped on the streets.

    Unfortunately, for the Ethiopians at least, a return trip home will cost them more than 5 months’ worth of work because their country is charging them for the mandatory 14-day quarantine hotel stay.

    According to Al-Akhbar, the total costs that an Ethiopian will have to pay to return to their country is $1,450, ticket and hotel fees included.

    All of the efforts done by the ministry of Labor in #Lebanon last night are appreciated but it does not end here, there should be a transparent communication with the Ethiopian consulate/authorities to insure a safe repatriation for the workers from #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/GNom6yUMrK

    — Luna Safwan – لونا صفوان (@LunaSafwan) June 4, 2020

    Needless to say, this is a sum that most of these workers can’t dream of having at this time due to their low wages, on one hand, and the fact that many of them transfer their money abroad on a monthly basis, on the other hand.

    Correction: The current number of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon is estimated to be around 500,000 – (September 17th, 2020 at 12:47 PM): We initially wrote that the number was 250,000. Upon being presented with new information, we reflected this in the corrections.

    Kafala
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email

    For You

    lebanese beer brands almaza beirut beer 961

    Lebanese Beer Brands Are Publicly Throwing Shade, And It’s Getting Frothy

    uae travel ban lebanon 961

    UAE Is Officially Removing The Travel Ban On Lebanon

    Joe Issa El-Khoury 961

    Who is Joe Issa El-Khoury, Lebanon’s New Minister of Industry

    Adel Nassar 961

    Who is Adel Nassar, Lebanon’s New Minister of Justice

    Nizar Hani 961

    Who is Nizar Hani, Lebanon’s New Minister of Agriculture

    Charles Hajj 961

    Who Is Charles Hajj, Lebanon’s New Minister of Telecommunications

    lebanon jounieh cyprus by ferry 961

    You’ll Soon Be Able To Travel Between Lebanon & Cyprus By Ferry

    20 Celebrities You Probably Didn’t Know Had Lebanese Roots

    April 22, 2019

    Lebanon’s Shawarma Is Going Viral in The Philippines

    April 21, 2019
    caracalla one thousand and one nights

    Caracalla Just Added More Dates For “One Thousand and One Nights” & You Def Don’t Want To Miss It!

    July 5, 2025
    Lebanese boutiques

    25 Boutiques In Lebanon To Find Your Dream Evening Dress This Wedding Season

    June 9, 2024

    20 Typical Lebanese Slang Expressions

    April 21, 2020
    lebanese beer brands almaza beirut beer 961

    Lebanese Beer Brands Are Publicly Throwing Shade, And It’s Getting Frothy

    June 7, 2025

    How Mia Khalifa Became One Of The Most Outspoken Advocates For Lebanon

    August 13, 2020
    Low-Cost Lebanese Airline 961

    We Might Finally Be Getting A Low-Cost Lebanese Airline – Here’s What We Know

    June 18, 2025
    whish pay lebanon 961

    You Can Now Use Whish Pay At Shopify Stores

    June 13, 2025
    961 Logo
    Facebook WhatsApp TikTok Instagram

    Popular Topics

    • Guides
    • Eat & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Lebanon News
    • Diaspora
    • Explained

    961

    • About
    • WhatsApp Channel
    • News WhatsApp Channel
    • Corrections Policy
    • Ownership & Funding

    Services

    • Advertise
    • Careers
    • App Waitlist
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    961™ | All Rights Reserved ©2025
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.