Lebanon has begun deporting locally born children of migrant workers, who were previously able to apply for residency if they enrolled in school. In 2014, 10 NGOs reported the issue to Human Rights Watch (HRW), concerned that the country’s security agency has decided – with no justification – to deny residency permits for a number of low-wage migrant children from poor and war-ravaged countries.
There are more than 200,000 migrant workers in Lebanon. Roula Hamati, advocacy officer at Insan Association in Beirut, fears that children who are ripped apart from their families could fall victim to trafficking and exploitation: ‘We are very concerned because all the children were born and raised in Lebanon. They have no ties to their country of origin and many do not even speak the language.’
