Campaign of closing shops run by foreign workers including Syrian, in Lebanon

Ministry of Lebanese Economy started a shop closing campaign run illegally by foreign workers including Syrians in Fern Al-Shabbak region in Beirut with the support  of state security service. 

The ministry closed with red-wax on Thursday a bakery run by two workers, one Egyptian and the other Syrian, it also closed a barbershop where a Syrian was working in. 

North Press made a tour to those closed shops and tried to get some information from workers, but most of them kept silent due to private reasons. 

During a question by North Press to people in the region, it was found that hired workers were bailed by a Lebanese citizen according to Lebanese laws, but the ministry made its closing decision because of lack of work permission that bails the worker of about 1200 $. 

“The ministry fined the shop owner of about 1000 $ due to not showing goods prices.” One of Syrian workers at a grocery confirmed to North Press. 

During his speech to North Press, George Abdul-Sater, Ministry of Economy consultant stressed that “Fern Al-Shabbak municipality was the first initiator of Ministry’s campaign and there is a long list of disorderly shops”, Abdul-Sater attributed the procedure to what he called “illegal competition done by those workers toward Lebanese dealers”.

 

2019 budget project which will be discussed by Lebanese parliament next week, includes items of fining Lebanese operator for employing foreigners without labor  permission, as well as demands for concerned authorities (municipalities, headmen, governors and mayors) to close “illegal” institutions and impose a fee to the “foreigner’s” family residing in Lebanon.

Despite human rights reservations about these procedures that subject Syrian refugees to the same foreign labor laws as for other foreigners who are assumed to have a special situation as protected people according to international agreements, Ministry of Lebanese Economy will work on closing more shops of several municipalities in the coming days as its consultant George Abdulsater confirmed.