BEIRUT: Isatta Bah wakes up from a nap in a crowded shelter on the outskirts of Beirut, clutching her baby, Blessing.
The 24-year-old from Sierra Leone spends her days waiting for an exit visa that could put her and her 1-year-old on a plane back to the West African nation. She wants to reunite with her family after what she called exploitative work conditions and sexual violence, along with the recent horrors of war in Lebanon.
“My experience in Lebanon is not good for me. I am really tired,” Bah said. “I want to go home.”
Hundreds of migrant workers in Lebanon are waiting to be repatriated after the ceasefire ending the 14-month war between the Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel went into effect last month.
Lebanon has long drawn migrant workers dreaming of building better lives for their families. Enticed by promises of stable jobs and decent pay, they enter Lebanon via recruitment agencies under a sponsorship-based labor system known as Kafala — only to find themselves often trapped with confiscated passports, long hours, withheld wages and, for many, abuse.
The Kafala system has long been criticized by human rights groups, but the government rarely if ever addresses the criticism. But Bah knew little of that when she came to Lebanon in 2022. She was promised a job at a supermarket with a $200 monthly salary, she said. Instead, she was sent to care for an older woman once she arrived.
Within a month of her arrival, her 3-year-old son back home fell ill and died. She said she was not given the time to grieve and fled her employer’s house. Since her employer held her passport and other documents, Bah said she had to leave them behind.
Her experience in Lebanon then took a darker turn. One day she and five housemates were picked up by a taxi driver who said he would take them home. Instead, she said, the driver dropped them at the wrong spot. As they tried and failed to find another cab, a group of men chased them and raped them.
“Men were coming and they were cheering for us,” said Bah, who gave her consent to be named. “They beat us and they had sex with us.” She said it took her about two weeks to recover and resume work at two hotels. Without documents, migrants can hesitate to go to police.
Two months later, she and another friend found out they were pregnant.
Bah recounted the experience as she watched her baby’s wobbly footsteps.
With war, their lives became more precarious. When Israel intensified its bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs in September, Bah fled the area with her baby and friends on foot.
Not every migrant worker escaped the attacks. An estimated 37 have been killed and 150 wounded since October 2023, said Joelle Mhanna with the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
There were few places to turn. Most government-run shelters refused to take in displaced people who were not Lebanese, said activist Dea Hajj Shaheen. After supporting migrant women during previous crises in Lebanon, she stepped in again along with other volunteers.
To house over 200 women from Sierra Leone including Bah, they repurposed an abandoned space owned by her family — a former car dealership that was later a venue for pop-up events and named The Shelter.
The kitchen was alive with activity as women cooked, some dancing to Nigerian music. In another area, rows of thin mattresses lay in the dim light from broken windows. Despite the modest conditions, the women set up a Christmas tree crafted from sticks.
While some migrants have been accepted at government-run shelters, there were regular reports of others being evicted or denied access, the IOM said.
Some migrants hesitate to approach the government shelters for fear of detention or deportation, Mhanna said. “As a result, most are being hosted by embassies, NGOs and community-based organizations including churches, monasteries and other religious groups.”
The Lebanese government has not directly addressed the issue of migrant workers being rejected from government-run shelters, despite repeated calls for action from rights organizations and the United Nations.
Moving on from the shelters they found posed another challenge for migrants like Bah, as many had passports and other documents confiscated by former employers.
“We had to secure exit permits, immigration clearances and even child travel documents for the five children in this group,” said Shaheen, who coordinated the repatriation last month of 120 women and their children with the support of IOM, who chartered the flight.
IOM said it has received requests from around 10,000 migrants seeking to be repatriated, a small fraction of the over 175,000 in Lebanon.
As of Nov. 26, the IOM had supported over 400 migrants to return home. That included two charter flights for people from Bangladesh and Sierra Leone. It wasn’t clear how many more flights are planned. or to where.
Laughter and cheer filled Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Nov. 19. The women from Sierra Leone arrived in groups, dragging suitcases and sharing hugs. Some danced in celebration for their long-awaited flight.
“It wasn’t easy in Lebanon,” said Amanata Thullah after four years. “I am happy to be going back to my country.”
Mariam Sesay, who described herself as the head of Sierra Leone’s community in Lebanon, said there had been “a lot of distress and trauma” in recent months.
Bah was not among those leaving, but she said she and others at the shelter were happy to see friends return home.
She now awaits her turn, along with over 50 others.
At first she was told she needed official documents for her baby and the father’s consent to travel. But a lawyer waived the requirement due to her circumstances, Shaheen said.
“I wish to go back home to continue my education,” Bah said. “Since I was little, I always wanted to be a computer science student, because I’m good at that.”
She looked down at Blessing. “Now I have something to take care of,” she said. “When I watch her walk or laugh, that gives me joy.”
Migrant workers in Lebanon are trying to return home after alleged abuses and then war
https://arab.news/625m6
Migrant workers in Lebanon are trying to return home after alleged abuses and then war
- Hundreds of migrant workers in Lebanon are waiting to be repatriated after the ceasefire ending the war between the Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel went into effect last month
Talks underway to open Egypt-Gaza border crossing for aid: Egypt state media
Egypt was “preparing to bring in the largest possible amount of aid to the Gaza Strip,” following news of a ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram said.
It cited a report from Al-Qahera News, which is closely linked to state intelligence.
Mediators said Israel and Hamas agreed Wednesday to a ceasefire and a deal to release hostages held in Gaza, but Israel cautioned that the final sticking points needed to be ironed out.
Pressure to put an end to the fighting had ratcheted up in recent days, as mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States intensified efforts to cement an agreement.
The Rafah border crossing has been closed since May, when the Israeli military seized the area and closed the Palestinian side of the crossing.
Egypt has repeatedly said it will only recognize Palestinian authority over the crossing.
Al-Qahera News on Wednesday said the framework agreement comprised of three interconnected phases.
The first would last 42 days and involve a temporary halt to military operations on both sides.
It would also require the withdrawal of Israeli forces away from population centers and toward Gaza’s borders, as well as the temporary cessation of flyovers by Israeli warplanes and reconnaissance aircraft for 10 hours each day.
International reaction to Gaza ceasefire deal
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal on Wednesday, mediators said, pausing a devastating 15-month war in Gaza and raising the possibility of winding down an Israeli military operation that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians.
The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Doha, promises the release in phases of dozens of hostages held by Hamas since it led an attack on Israel in October 2023 that killed at least 1,200 people.
International response to the deal, which is yet to be confirmed by Israel, overwhelmingly welcomed the agreement.
US President Elect Donald Trump welcomed the deal ahead of US official comment and focussed his comments on the Israeli hostages.
"We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!" he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters in Ankara that the ceasefire deal was an important step for regional stability. Fidan also said Turkish efforts for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would continue.
More to follow ...
*With AP and Reuters
Shiite blocs fail to attend opening day of talks on forming new Lebanese government
- Hezbollah and Amal refuse to participate after MPs choose Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate, rather than caretaker PM Najib Mikati as Hezbollah expected
- Change Alliance says ‘Lebanon has entered a new phase,’ calls for quota-free government in which women are properly represented
BEIRUT: The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, failed to attend a scheduled meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, as the Shiite Amal and Hezbollah blocs refused to participate on day one of non-binding consultations on forming a new government.
The talks will continue until Thursday evening with the aim of gauging the opinions of parliamentary blocs, independent MPs and reformist MPs about the structure and participation in the new government.
The failure of the Shiite blocs to attend was a response to what Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad described as a “trap” and act of “exclusion,” after a majority of MPs this week voted for Salam as prime minister-designate, rather than the incumbent caretaker PM, Najib Mikati, as Hezbollah had expected.
On the eve of the consultations, both the newly appointed President Joseph Aoun and Salam stressed that “there is no intention to break or exclude any party in the country, but rather to promote unity and partnership.” However, Hezbollah and Amal maintained their positions and refused to participate in the talks.
Adding to the uncertainty, Amal Movement MP Qassem Hashem stated that “not attending the consultations does not mean boycotting the government or the prime minister-designate.” He said the blocs were “taking a political stance, not one directed against the prime minister-designate, as what he said yesterday offers grounds for engagement.”
According to media reports, “communication between Salam and Berri has not ceased, and the period between the conclusion of non-binding parliamentary consultations and the subsequent negotiations on the formation of the government between the parties is expected to determine whether the Amal and Hezbollah blocs will choose to participate in the government.”
On the question of whether the aim of the refusal to participate was to send a message abroad, Berri said: “Lebanon must move forward.”
Independent MP Ibrahim Mneimneh told Arab News: “It is essential today to approach matters with wisdom and to return to communication. No party should feel excluded or perceive any intention to undermine the other, and all must unite in the endeavor of state-building.”
Regarding allusions by Hezbollah to the issue of losing legitimacy, Mneimneh said: “The matter of legitimacy is more of a political issue than a constitutional one. Therefore, when those with concerns are reassured, I believe that matters will proceed normally. This phase is crucial for state building, and it is expected that everyone participates in this process.”
The opening day of the consultations were limited to the parliamentary blocs, which predominantly represent partisan trends.
MP Mark Daou, representing the Change Alliance, said: “Lebanon has entered a new phase. We demanded a smaller government consisting of new faces in which women are represented, far from partisan quotas, with the necessity of playing a major political role, and without mixing the parliament with the ministry, and without returning to the trilogy: army, people, resistance.”
MP Taymour Jumblatt, leader of the Democratic Gathering bloc, said after talks with Salam: “We have an opportunity to build the state of the future. We focused on the necessity of communicating with everyone and opening a dialogue with everyone, as no one can cancel the other. We also hope that political actors will ease the pressure on (President) Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam.”
MP Ibrahim Kanaan, representing the Independent Consultative Gathering, said: “The designated prime minister is eager to engage with everyone and cooperate with them. We hope that the Shiite duo (Hezbollah and Amal) will join hands with us.
“In light of our objectives, all obstacles can be overcome and it is crucial to have political will behind those appointed to the government to facilitate and ensure the success of the mandate.
“There is a pressing need for courage, decisive action and implementation, particularly regarding administration, finance and financial accounts.”
MP Sagih Atieh said the National Moderation bloc called for a “ministerial portfolio, the acceleration of the government formation process, and the inclusion of all parties in it.” During the talks, he added, “Salam emphasized the principle of balanced development.”
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, said: “The appointment of Salam is not a defeat for anyone but a victory for the reformist ideology.”
He added that his bloc “has not made any demands regarding the government and is ready to assist, believing that the government should represent parliamentary forces but consist of specialists.”
MP George Adwan, speaking on behalf of the Strong Republic bloc led by the Lebanese Forces party, called for “the government’s plan to align with the speech delivered by the president when he took the oath.”
He added: “We do not wish to return to any previous political formulas, including ‘army, people and resistance.’ The state’s authority must extend over all of its territories, while the era of national consensus governments must come to an end.”
Adwan reiterated his bloc’s calls for “a fight against corruption and for an indictment to be issued in the Beirut port explosion case within the next few months.
“Additionally, we will not accept any plan that would involve writing off depositors’ funds. We also want the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to be relaunched, while the new government must reflect the proper representation of the Lebanese people.”
MP Tony Frangieh said the Independent National Bloc wants “the formation of a government composed of competent individuals and capable of addressing the current challenges. We did not discuss our participation in the government. Nawaf Salam possesses the wisdom needed to save Lebanon. It is important for all the country’s components to communicate, as the government requires the broadest consensus possible.”
The head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party bloc, MP Sami Gemayel, said he wants a government “composed of competent individuals. We will let President Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Salam decide on the form of the government.”
He added: “What we see today is far from exclusionary and I wish we had not been excluded in the past.”
Israel, Hamas agree to ceasefire deal to pause Gaza war and release some hostages — mediators
- Officials from Qatar and Hamas confirm deal has been reached, Israel hasn’t yet commented
- Agreement still needs Netanyahu cabinet’s approval but expected to go into effect in coming days
DOHA: Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, mediators announced Wednesday, pausing a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of winding down the the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.
The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a devastated territory.
Officials from Qatar and Hamas confirmed that a deal had been reached, while Israel hasn’t yet commented.
The agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet, but is expected to go into effect in the coming days.
The deal is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether.
Over six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones after months in in captivity with no contact with the outside world, though it’s unclear if all are alive.
It remained unclear exactly when and how many displaced Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes and whether the agreement would lead to a complete end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza — key Hamas demands for releasing the remaining captives.
Many longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.
Still, the announcement offered the first sign of hope in months that Israel and Hamas may be winding down the most deadly and destructive war they’ve ever fought, a conflict that has destabilized the broader Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
More than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza in a weeklong truce in November 2023.
France to decide response to Algeria ‘hostility’ as tensions mount — minister
- French officials say Algiers is adopting a policy that aims to wipe France’s economic presence from the country
- “The relationship between France and Algeria is not a bilateral relationship like any other, it is a relationship of deep intimacy,” Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers
PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron and key members of the government will meet in the coming days to decide how to respond to what Paris deems as growing hostility from Algeria, France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Ties between Paris and Algiers have been complicated for decades, but have taken a turn for the worse since last July when Macron angered Algeria by recognizing a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty.
Although diplomatic ties have not been ruptured, French officials say Algiers is adopting a policy that aims to wipe France’s economic presence from the country, with trade falling by as much as 30 percent since the summer.
A poor relationship has major security, economic and social repercussions: trade is extensive and some 10 percent of France’s 68 million population has links to Algeria, according to French officials.
“The relationship between France and Algeria is not a bilateral relationship like any other, it is a relationship of deep intimacy,” Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers, accusing Algeria of taking a “hostile posture.”
Barrot has offered to go to Algeria to discuss the standoff.
In November, Algeria’s banking association tested the waters verbally to suggest a directive to end banking transactions to and from France, although did not go through with it given the extensive nature of trade ties between the two countries, three diplomats said.
Diplomats and traders say French firms are no longer being considered in tenders for wheat imports to Algeria, to which France had been a key exporter.
Beyond business, Macron accused Algiers of “dishonoring itself” by detaining arbitrarily Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, whose health has worsened in recent weeks.
Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called Sansal an “imposter” sent by France.
With Macron’s government under pressure to toughen immigration policies, a diplomatic spat also broke out last week after several Algerian social media influencers were arrested in France and accused of inciting violence.
One was deported to Algiers, where authorities sent him back to Paris, citing legal procedures. That sparked anger among France’s right-wing parties and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau accused Algiers of trying to humiliate the former colonial power.
“This is a violation of the texts that govern our relationship and it is a precedent that we consider serious,” Barrot said, adding that this and the arrest of Sansal had forced Paris’ hands to decide how to respond.
Algeria’s foreign ministry denied on Saturday it was seeking escalation with France and said the far-right in France was carrying out a disinformation campaign against Algeria.
PAST TRAUMA
The relationship between the two countries is scarred by the trauma of the 1954-1962 independence war in which the North African country broke with France.
About 400,000 Algerian civilians and fighters were killed, as well as about 35,000 French and as many as 30,000 Muslim “harkis” who fought in the French army against Algerian insurgents.
Macron has over the years pushed for more transparency regarding France’s past with Algeria while also saying that Algeria’s “politico-military system” had rewritten the history of its colonization by France based on “a hatred of France.”
Jalel Harchaoui, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the countries were locked in an escalating standoff.
“Many politicians in Paris say they want to force Algeria to soften its position, but Algiers has every intention to stand firm. Algeria feels all the more emboldened by the fact that France is far less important to its economy than a few years ago,” he said.
