Evacuation of Ethiopian women workers in stalemate

The head of the Owners of Recruitment Offices, Ali Amin, disclosed yesterday information that action for the repatriation of migrant workers, especially Ethiopians, is still in deadlock. Speaking to Al Markaziya portal, Amin said however that the Ethiopian government’s promises to secure planes remain unfulfilled. As per the mandatory quarantine of the returnees, the Ethiopian state has withdrawn its decision to cover the expenses due to the overwhelming number of returnees. It further required PCR tests to be conducted 72 hours ahead of the flights. Amin also stressed that any delay exacerbates the situation, noting that with the rocketing price of the dollar against the Lebanese lira (nearly LBP 6000), many sponsors are now unable to bear additional burdens and pay the wages which have touched one million LBP. Yet, they are willing to return their MWDWs to their country if flights can be organized, he added. In a related development, Caritas announced that around 13 of 35 Ethiopian MWDWs (https://bit.ly/31feW4z), housed by the organization decided to leave and stay in front of the consulate of their country. According to Ruba Dirana, Caritas media officer, they wanted to put pressure on their government to speed up repatriation. (Al Diyar, June 24, 2020)