Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East, ‎pdf 4.1 MB

gender, nationality or disability. 126 Nasawiya surveyed a sample of
establishments in Lebanon, and showed through social media the
persistent discrimination against migrant domestic workers, and the nonenforcement
of the new circular by the authorities. 127 It also established a
Migrant Community Centre in 2011 to provide a space where migrant
workers, including domestic workers, can access computers and organize
meetings, community events and vigils for fellow migrant workers who have
died in the country.
Also in Lebanon, the Danish Refugee Council has overseen the development
of a common advocacy campaign by five NGOs to sensitize the general
public about the sponsorship system. This campaign is significant as it is
the first time that all civil society actors have worked together to further
the protection of migrant workers in the country. Also, in July 2010,
the Counter-Trafficking Working Group (CTWG), consisting of Alef,
Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre, Heartland Alliance, KAFA and World
Vision, was created to put human trafficking on the policy agenda, build
better coordination between NGOs dealing with the topic, and create
information materials on the crime of trafficking. Among other activities,
the CTWG analysed how the proposed draft law on trafficking in persons
measured up against UN and other international standards and principles,
and developed a comprehensive set of recommendations on the proposed
legislation, comprising amendments, additions and suggestions for additional
legislation, some of which were taken notice of by policy-makers.
In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Association of the Basic Evaluators for Human
Rights (KABE) has tried to raise awareness about the need for civil society
to be more involved in issues relating to migrant workers’ rights and
discrimination against them. It launched a campaign based on the Prophet’s
saying: “Give the worker his salary before his sweat dries.” 128 Joint advocacy
initiatives involving NGOs in countries of origin and countries of destination
have emerged. At the regional level, the Diplomacy Training Programme in
collaboration with Migrant Forum Asia and the ILO has recently organized
a capacity-building programme on the protection of low-skilled migration
workers, aiming to build alliances and strengthen collaboration between
workers’ organizations, NGOs, and national human rights institutions from
countries of origin and destination. 129
126
Lebanon Ministry of Tourism: Circular No. 5 on swimming places, 25 Apr. 2012.
127
Interview with an official from Nasawiya, Lebanon, 24 Sep. 2012.
128
Interview with an official from KABE, Kuwait, 1 Apr. 2012.
129
The first training programme took place in Lebanon in May 2012 and the second in
Qatar in Oct. 2012.
150