Abike Dabiri commends Lebanon's decision to suspend visas for illegal workers

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri has commended Lebanon's decision to suspend visa for illegal workers.

This is coming after she met Lebanon Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Houssam Diab yesterday.

They discussed the issue of maltreated workers in Lebanon after which Diab revealed his government's decision to suspend visa for illegal workers until an agency for "managed Migration" alongside the Ministry of Labour is set up.

He told the visiting Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in his Abuja office that the mission had suspended the issuance since May 1.

Ambassador Diab stated that the suspension started since May 1, following the video of Peace Busari, a Nigerian lady, auctioned by a non-Lebanese person on Social media in April this year, went viral, as earlier reported by MyNigeria.com.

She commended the recent decision to suspend all Visas for illegal workers until we have an agency that would be documented with the Ministry of Labour for a "managed Migration.'#NiDCOMToday pic.twitter.com/1Ioe1WWdMo

— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) June 4, 2020

Two Nigerian women were rescued from Lebanon’s capital city Beirut in March 2020.

One of the victims, an indigene of Oyo State, was trafficked to Beirut in September 2019. The other is an Ebonyi indigene was a salesgirl in Lagos before being trafficked to the Middle East country, also in September 2019.

Before the March rescue of the women, another Nigerian lady was freed from forced labour in the same country.

The story of 23-year-old Omolola Ajayi caught national attention after she posted a video on social media, detailing how she was deceived with a promise of a teaching job in Lebanon.

Another Nigerian woman Kikelomo Olayide, a mother of two, was rescued in February. She was rescued after her husband petitioned the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

The commander said the victim was allegedly trafficked by a 54–year-old Lebanese in October 2019.