US Report Keeps Lebanon at Tier 2 in Trafficking in Persons List

A report by the U.S. Department of State regarding Lebanon's status concerning human trafficking was released, classifying it in Tier 2. The report stated:

"The Government of Lebanon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the reporting period; therefore, Lebanon remained on Tier 2."

The report added: "Lebanon experienced months-long war between Israel and Hezbollah, which displaced more than one million people and required a large-scale humanitarian response. As a result, the government’s capacity to develop and implement anti-trafficking policies was limited. However, the government launched unified and comprehensive standard operating procedures to identify trafficking victims, collaborated with NGOs and international organizations to train officials on implementing these procedures, increased trafficking investigations and convictions, issued new regulations to enhance protection for domestic workers, and took enforcement actions against fraudulent recruitment agencies. Nevertheless, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. It lacked an adopted national action plan or interagency task force. Law enforcement data related to trafficking cases and victim identification were fragmented. Due to inconsistent screening across vulnerable populations, the government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. The government had no law prohibiting or penalizing the confiscation of workers’ passports, a known indicator of human trafficking; furthermore, Lebanon’s employer-based visa system created vulnerabilities that allowed exploitation of migrant workers and hindered authorities’ ability to identify and protect trafficking victims."

Prosecutions

According to the report: "The government maintained its law enforcement efforts in combating human trafficking.

The 2011 Anti-Trafficking Law criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking, prescribing prison sentences ranging from five to seven years and fines if the crime involved adult victims, and ten to twelve years and fines if it involved child victims. These penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those imposed for other serious crimes, such as rape. A draft amendment to the anti-trafficking law, aimed at addressing burden of proof issues and other matters, remained pending before parliament."

The report noted that "financial, economic, and political crises continued to affect the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate trafficking cases and compile data. Most public sector employees attended their workplaces only intermittently in protest of salary interruptions, limiting the government’s ability to undertake effective anti-trafficking efforts and respond to information requests. Most law enforcement offices and judicial bodies lacked basic supplies, including electricity or fuel for vehicles or generators. Due to these constraints, reported statistics remained lower than previous years’ levels and may have been partially incomplete or included non-trafficking crimes, such as drug trafficking, limiting comparability. In 2025, the government reported conducting investigations into six trafficking cases, charging 14 suspects, and convicting 13 traffickers; compared to three investigations, prosecution initiation against 73 suspects, and no reported convictions in 2024. Prosecutions included four suspects for sex trafficking, three for forced labor, and seven for unspecified forms of trafficking; convictions included 12 sex traffickers and one labor trafficker. The government reported 20 prosecutions ongoing from previous reporting periods. The government did not provide data on sentences handed down to most convicted traffickers but indicated that in one case, the trafficker was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a fine of 300,000,000 Lebanese pounds ($3,352 USD), and deportation after serving the sentence."

According to the report, "the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes. Nor did the government report cooperation with other governments in law enforcement operations. During the reporting period, the government, in partnership with an international organization and NGOs, conducted anti-trafficking training for law enforcement officials, including police, judges, and immigration officers, as well as the group of agencies involved in the new unified standard operating procedures for identifying and assisting trafficking victims."

The report added: "The Vice and Human Trafficking Protection Unit of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) is the security agency primarily responsible for investigating trafficking cases. There is no specialized judiciary to handle human trafficking cases, but one judge is appointed as a point of contact for these issues. Additionally, the Human Rights and International Organizations Division of the General Directorate of General Security, the security agency responsible for borders and regulating foreign affairs, investigates trafficking cases if they involve non-Lebanese individuals. After law enforcement agencies conduct their investigations, potential trafficking cases are referred to the judiciary, where the presiding judge is responsible for determining whether the case meets the criteria for sex trafficking or labor trafficking, regardless of the classification ISF or General Security personnel may assign during initial interrogation. The ISF reported improved coordination with prosecutors during the reporting period, leading to better alignment in classifying cases under investigation. The government increased the number of officers in the Vice and Human Trafficking Protection Unit from 20 to 25, but observers noted the unit remains understaffed, with 25 officers responsible for sex-related crimes throughout Lebanon. Furthermore, the overlap of duties between the unit commander and its officers with the Vice Unit effectively limited the ISF’s prioritization of trafficking cases. Government officials continued to report reluctance among security forces to arrest parents who subject their children to trafficking, often through forced begging, due to the lack of available social services if the child is removed from the family."

Government Increased Efforts to Protect Victims

The report noted that "during the reporting period, the government identified 12 victims, including 10 adult female victims of sex trafficking and two girls victims of an unspecified form of trafficking; compared to 64 potential victims identified during the previous reporting period, whom the government acknowledged might have been victims of other crimes. The government did not provide data on the number of victims referred to relevant authorities. However, NGOs reported that government entities referred 108 out of 809 victims assisted by these organizations. On May 14, 2025, the Council of Ministers officially approved new unified standard operating procedures for identifying, assisting, and protecting human trafficking victims in Lebanon. These procedures were drafted by governmental and non-governmental institutions with support from an international organization and were officially launched in October 2025. The government prepared terms of reference for key participants in these procedures, including social workers, and conducted intensive training for participants from governmental and non-governmental entities on their implementation.

The government did not provide direct shelters for adult trafficking victims, relying instead on NGO partners to provide care. The government provided some limited services, including legal assistance and social workers to assist victims, while NGOs provided comprehensive services, including shelter, healthcare, counseling, legal services, and repatriation assistance. NGO shelters were available to all victims of domestic or sexual violence, including all trafficking victims. The Ministry of Social Affairs continued to coordinate and fund protection services for child trafficking victims through contractual agreements with NGOs. When beds were unavailable in shelters, NGOs referred child victims to foster families. Foreign embassies providing shelter to their nationals when NGO shelters were full reported offering accommodation to an increasing number of their citizens, including victims of domestic servitude, due to the economic crisis and hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah."

The report added: "Access to services did not require formal certification of the person as a victim. The government did not issue restitution orders for victims within criminal judgments; it was reported that a victim support fund was under development to facilitate compensation, and victims could file civil lawsuits against perpetrators. Victim participation in law enforcement proceedings was not a condition for receiving services; however, stakeholders reported that victims were often reluctant to engage with law enforcement officials, hindering victim identification and referral to care. The government did not provide witness assistance for victims to support their participation in criminal judicial proceedings, although judges could take certain measures to protect the victim’s identity. Law enforcement agencies did not consistently interview victims in private, safe locations with interpreters present. The new unified standard operating procedures included provisions to enhance protection for witness-victims, but the government had not begun implementing these provisions during the reporting period. The government did not report having formal policies to provide legal alternatives to foreign trafficking victims’ removal to countries where they would face retaliation or hardship. NGOs reported supporting the repatriation of 462 foreign trafficking victims to their home countries."

According to the report, "the government took some measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. An international organization reported that although many potential trafficking victims it supported were present in the country illegally, none were subjected to imprisonment, fines, or other penalties for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of trafficking. The General Directorate of General Security referred migrants with pending legal issues to the international organization, which advised them and directed them to specialized legal support services. Additionally, the Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation issued a circular allowing foreign domestic workers to file complaints about abuse and preventing the detention of migrant domestic workers for violations of residency conditions and work permits. However, reports indicated that the government continued to detain, hold, and deport unidentified victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Authorities could immediately deport women holding artist visas upon detention for alleged 'prostitution' violations. If the judge did not grant the victim official status, including foreign workers without residence or work permits, officials released them from detention or charged them with committing a crime."

Government Slightly Increased Prevention Efforts

According to the report, "the government did not have a formal interagency task force or national action plan. The Ministry of Social Affairs prepared terms of reference for a new national committee to combat human trafficking, tasked with overseeing the implementation of unified standard operating procedures and establishing a comprehensive national referral mechanism, but the establishment of the committee remained pending a decision from the Council of Ministers. The Ministry of Social Affairs implemented public awareness activities in partnership with international organizations, targeting Syrian refugees and vulnerable migrant workers, aiming to prevent trafficking among these abused groups. The ISF operated a hotline receiving various complaints, and the Judicial Police operated a hotline dedicated to human trafficking. The ISF reported that hotline operators received training on victim screening and referral."

The report stated: "The Ministry of Labor had labor courts hearing labor cases and inspectors checking workplaces for compliance with Lebanese labor laws. Labor units and staff were not exclusively dedicated to combating trafficking. The Ministry of Labor reported developing a strategy to strengthen inspection mechanisms during the year, and staff received training on identifying trafficking indicators. However, NGOs reported that labor inspectors did not refer any of the 108 victims referred by government entities for services. The government regulated worker recruitment agencies, held them civilly liable for fraudulent recruitment, and made regulatory changes during the reporting period to enhance some worker protection measures. On May 22, the Ministry of Labor issued a memo requiring recruitment agencies to provide additional financial documents and official confirmation of employee registration with the National Social Security Fund to continue operating. On July 1, the Ministry of Labor issued new licensing requirements for recruitment agencies bringing in foreign domestic workers and regulated the transfer mechanism of foreign domestic workers between employers. The ministry also increased financial guarantees that foreign recruitment agencies must provide as part of worker contracts. The ministry reported closing 20 recruitment agencies during the year and creating blacklists for employers reported to mistreat workers and for recruitment agencies violating new regulations. The government prohibited charging workers recruitment fees, as clarified by the July 1 decree stating that recruitment agencies cannot obtain any monetary amounts or in-kind or cash benefits from domestic workers, either directly or indirectly."

According to the report: "Reports indicated a continuing increase in child forced labor among Syrian refugees, particularly in agriculture, construction, street vending, and forced begging, with limited government efforts to address this phenomenon. An international organization reported evidence in refugee communities of using children for forced labor in exchange for housing in informal tent settlements. The government did not take measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in supply chains. The government ended and signed a bilateral agreement with Ethiopia for cooperation in combating illegal employment and enhancing anti-trafficking protections, benefiting Ethiopian workers who constitute the largest share of migrant workers in the country."

The report added: "Under a previous directive from the General Directorate of General Security, airport officers continued returning passports directly to foreign domestic workers upon their arrival in Lebanon, despite NGO reports that many employers privately confiscated domestic workers’ passports. The government had no law prohibiting or penalizing employers or labor agents from confiscating workers’ passports or travel documents, a known indicator of human trafficking, which weakened deterrence against this practice and increased the vulnerability of foreign workers to trafficking. The government did not take measures to reduce demand for commercial sex acts. Officials generally sought to resolve trafficking cases involving foreign workers through mediation between the employer and the worker, rather than referring them to criminal prosecution."

Patterns of Human Trafficking

The report stated: "This section describes the nature and scope of human trafficking based on recent government and civil society reports. Traffickers exploit victims from Lebanese and foreigners within Lebanon, as well as victims from Lebanon abroad. NGOs reported that the combined impact of economic and financial crises, political instability, and escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah increased the vulnerability of Lebanese citizens to trafficking. Media reported that traffickers use social media applications to recruit and exploit Lebanese and foreign children in sex trafficking. Refugees remain vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking, and girls and women remain vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Forced labor remained the predominant form of trafficking. Vulnerable populations continued to face increased risks due to economic instability, limited livelihood opportunities, and movement restrictions. Fraudulent 'sponsorship' schemes and false job offers remained common trafficking methods, as perpetrators exploited migrants’ attempts to regularize their legal status by demanding money and documents. Traffickers increasingly exploited migrant workers using coercion and manipulation of their living conditions. Several cases involved individuals deceived about job opportunities or forced to accept exploitative conditions due to their fragile legal and economic status. Scammers targeted migrants through job fraud in WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages, sometimes impersonating entities representing international organization resettlement procedures. Migrants are recruited for domestic work but are instead deprived of freedom of movement and forced to package drugs, often within organized trafficking and smuggling networks."

The report added: "Traffickers exploit women and girls from South Asia and Southeast Asia, and increasing numbers from East and West Africa, in domestic servitude in Lebanon. Despite the ongoing economic crisis, NGOs reported that recruitment agencies continue to intensively bring in foreign domestic workers, particularly from Nigeria, the Philippines, and Ethiopia. Lebanese government officials and NGOs reported that most employers withhold domestic workers’ passports, some also withhold wages, force them to work excessive hours without rest days, restrict their freedom of movement, and physically or sexually assault them; all indicators of labor trafficking. Media reported that some migrant workers and Lebanese citizens are increasingly engaging in commercial sex due to lack of economic opportunities following the economic crisis, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking."

According to the report: "Syrian refugees, estimated at approximately 900,000 in Lebanon, remain highly vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking. Restrictions on Syrians’ ability to work legally in Lebanon and enforcement of residency permit laws increase this group’s vulnerability to trafficking. Syrians often participate in exploiting other Syrians in Lebanon, particularly targeting refugees fleeing Syria. For example, Syrian traffickers subject adult and child Syrian refugees to debt-bondage forced labor to pay for food, shelter, and transportation costs to or from Lebanon, and contract groups of refugees to work in the agricultural sector in the Bekaa Valley. NGOs reported that some Syrian refugee children are forced or coerced into criminal activities."

According to the report: "Criminal groups recruited women and girls from Syria with false promises of employment, then exploited them in sex trafficking, where they suffered psychological, physical, and sexual abuse and forced abortions. Family members or influential local families forced some Syrian refugee women and girls into commercial sex acts or early marriage to alleviate economic burdens, making them highly vulnerable to trafficking. Non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah, Fatah al-Islam, Jund Ansar Allah, Resistance Brigades, and the Islamic State (ISIS), recruit children and use them as child soldiers; refugee children were particularly vulnerable to recruitment or use as child soldiers."