Hundreds of African Migrants in Lebanon Await Repatriation After Ceasefire

Hundreds of African migrants stranded in Lebanon are now awaiting repatriation following the recent ceasefire, as efforts to ensure their safe return intensify.

Isatta Bah awakens from a nap in a packed shelter on the outskirts of Beirut, holding her baby, Blessing.

The 24-year-old from Sierra Leone spends her days waiting for an exit visa that could allow her and her 1-year-old to board a plane back to the West African country.

She wishes to reunite with her family following what she described as exploitative work conditions and experiences of sexual violence, compounded by the recent horrors of war in Lebanon.

“I’m really exhausted,” Bah said, “my experience in Lebanon hasn’t been good for me.”

“I wish to return home.”

Hundreds of migrant workers in Lebanon are awaiting repatriation following the implementation of a ceasefire that ended the 14-month conflict between Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, and Israel last month.

For a long time, Lebanon has attracted migrant workers hoping to create better lives for their families.

Attracted by the prospect of stable employment and adequate pay, they arrive in Lebanon through recruitment agencies operating under a sponsorship-based labor system called Kafala. However, they frequently find themselves trapped with confiscated passports, enduring long working hours, withheld wages, and often facing abuse.

The Kafala system has faced longstanding criticism from human rights organizations.

However, when Bah arrived in Lebanon in 2022, she knew little about that.

She mentioned that she had been promised a job at a supermarket with a monthly salary of $200.

Upon her arrival, she was assigned to care for an elderly woman.

Less than a month after she arrived, her 3-year-old son back home became ill and passed away.

She explained that she hadn’t been allowed the time to grieve, so she left her employer’s house.

Bah mentioned that she had to leave her passport and other documents behind because her employer was holding them.

Her time in Lebanon subsequently took a more troubling turn.

One day, a taxi driver offered to take her and her five housemates home.

READ ALSO: Pope Calls for Immediate Election of New President in Lebanon

Instead, she recounted that the driver dropped them at an incorrect location. While they were unsuccessfully attempting to find another cab, a group of men pursued and assaulted them.

“We encountered four men who attempted to chase us. We ran, but they managed to catch three of us,” said Bah, who agreed to be named.

She mentioned that it took her approximately two weeks to recover and return to work at both hotels. Without proper documentation, migrants may be reluctant to approach the police.

Two months later, she and several friends discovered they were pregnant.

Bah recalled the experience as she watched her baby’s unsteady steps.

The onset of war made their lives increasingly unstable.

In September, when Israel escalated its attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Bah fled the area with her baby and friends on foot.

Not all migrant workers were able to avoid the attacks.

According to Joelle Mhanna from the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration, approximately 37 people have died and 150 have been injured since October 2023.

There were limited options available.

Activist Dea Hajj Shaheen stated that the majority of government-operated shelters declined to accept displaced individuals who were not Lebanese.

Having previously supported migrant women during crises in Lebanon, she once again joined other volunteers to offer her assistance.

To accommodate more than 200 women from Sierra Leone, including Bah, they transformed an abandoned property owned by her family. This former car dealership later served as a venue for pop-up events and was named The Shelter.

The kitchen buzzed with activity as women prepared food, some swaying to the rhythm of Nigerian music.

In a different section, lines of thin mattresses were spread out under the dim light filtering through shattered windows.

Despite the humble circumstances, the women constructed a Christmas tree made from sticks.

The IOM reported that although some migrants have been accommodated in government-run shelters, there are frequent reports of others being evicted or denied entry.

Transitioning away from the shelters presented an additional challenge, as numerous migrants, including Bah, had their passports and other documents confiscated by previous employers.

The IOM reported that it has received repatriation requests from approximately 10,000 migrants. This number represents a small fraction of the more than 175,000 migrants in Lebanon who come from nearly 100 different countries.

By November 26, the IOM had assisted more than 400 migrants in returning to their home countries.

This included two charter flights for individuals from Bangladesh and Sierra Leone.

The number of additional planned flights and their destinations were not clear.

On November 19, Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport was filled with laughter and cheer.

The women from Sierra Leone arrived in groups, pulling their suitcases and exchanging hugs.

Some celebrated with dance, overjoyed for their long-awaited flight.

“It was challenging in Lebanon,” Amanata Thullah remarked after four years.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to my home country.”

Bah did not leave with the others, but she mentioned that both she and her fellow shelter residents were delighted to see their friends returning home.

She is now waiting for her turn, along with more than 50 others.

Initially, she was informed that she required official documents for her baby and the father’s consent to travel.

However, Shaheen mentioned that a lawyer exempted her from the requirement due to her circumstances.

Bah wants to return home to continue her computer science studies and reunite with the friends she made in the shelter.

“I truly want to see them, and I really just want to go home because I’m exhausted.”