Ministry of Labor fights illegal foreign workers

Non abiding
businesses will be penalized

The Ministry of Labor is now combating the replacement of local workers with foreign ones in hospitality establishments.

This phenomenon has been witnessed in many restaurants and hotels in various regions, especially with the increasing number of Syrian refugees in the country. Several local employees have suffered from terminations. This fact has pushed local workforce to emigrate in order to find appropriate jobs abroad.

The Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, said that the Ministry will not give work permits at the expense of local workers, except in very limited and extreme cases. “Hospitality institutions will be banned from hiring any foreign worker,” he said.

Azzi said that the Ministry has started implementing this decision, and has already put a schedule to send inspection visits to restaurants, cafes, hotels, and other hospitality establishments.

“Businesses hiring illegal foreign workers at the expense of local employees will be penalized,” Azzi said. Companies will be fined or be subject to severe corrective measures. Illegal workers will be dismissed immediately.

The Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Nada Sardouk, said that the role of the Ministry is limited to supervise the permits of the establishments and review any complaint about restaurants, hotels, and cafes. “It is the job of the Ministry of Labor to handle the employment-related matters.”

Azzi said that the Ministry will also coordinate with the General Security forces in order to prevent the arrival of illegal workers to the local market. “This approach will require five months to reach concrete results,” he said. It won’t be limited to hospitality establishments. It will also involve all economic sectors.