Lebanon: the Malagasy workers’ way to paradise or to purgatory?

“Heading for Lebanon is no one way ticket to hell”, so reads the recruitment agencies’ creed meant to win hearts and minds. “Everything went on well for me. I have had a couple of always very correct employers over three years”, told a 30 years old mother named Nelly. She only got the promised US$150 housemaid’s wage a month once on Lebanese soil. “At the end of each month, I have always been paid cash in dollars. As I was working well, my employer rewarded me with bonuses”, she told with pride. It was not enough to keep her away from leaving and making for another household which would have paid twice more for her services. 300 dollars a month without food, rent or bill charges at a good boss’ service is the genuine Eldorado. According to a recruitment agency official, the Malagasy workers’ integration difficulties are stemming from the language gap. “They successfully pass our French language test” she explained. “However, once abroad and especially once in presence of their boss, they break down”. The young female candidates to the adventure have a middle education level, generally the BEPC, a local certificate granted after the 3rd school term. Some A-level graduates also appear now and then. For Mrs. Odile, another former expatriate, the problem is psychological. “I can tell about some of them who became their boss’ mistresses, and that is the starting point of their problems”, she regretted. “Life in Lebanon is not as so easy for everybody”. A father unveiled the daily hardship of his daughter’s life: “She has already been raped three times, but she is not willing to come home; she would like to find new employers instead”, he told with flagrant worries. A young man, then, reported his sister’s burden: “She successfully fled from her boss. She came back home but when we welcomed her at the airport, she had even no idea of where she turned in, she definitely lost her mind”. A couple of previous workers back from Lebanon have been officially entered in the asylum. About forty fled their employers’ households but failed to come back to the country. Recruitment agencies cannot pledge royal treatment to voluntaries for housemaid jobs in Lebanon. They rely on their partners in this country to complete a follow-up of the workers’ lives. The mission sent by the ministry for Labour and Social Laws is going to make an assessment of the situation. “There is not yet any far reaching decision as a breach of agreement”. Loopholes in work contracts have been noticed. “There are neither obligations for the employers nor protective measures for Malagasy workers in Lebanon”. Recruitment offices are appearing very cooperative, conciliatory and generous. They propose to support all repatriation charges for any worker willing to go home..