A Nigerian woman working in Lebanon who was put up for sale on Facebook in April has refused to be repatriated and has instead negotiated a contract with another employer, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has said.
Peace Busari was put on sale on a “Buy & Sell” Facebook page for $1,000 in late April.
The post, which included a copy of the woman’s passport, read: “Domestic work of African citizenship (Nigerian) for sale with a new residency and full legal papers… she’s 30-year old, active and very clean.”
The post’s author, a user known online as “Wael Jerro”, was later arrested by Lebanese security forces and an investigation into the incident was launched.
However, NIDCOM’s chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Thursday, said that the lady has refused to return to the country.
“Not even the plea by her state government, Oyo state could make her change her mind as she insisted on staying back,” she said.
“69 of the 79 Nigerians that were due for return to the country were evacuated last week at the expense of the Lebanese government and Lebanese community in Nigeria.
“The remaining 10 are facing judicial issues bothering on alleged theft and attempted murder. Nine are facing theft case and one facing attempted murder.”
In recent months, several embassies in Lebanon have been overrun with migrant workers desperate to return home after the country’s debilitating economic crisis left many employers unable to pay wages in dollars, or cover salaries at all.
The coronavirus pandemic has compounded the situation, trapping workers indoors in frequently abusive environments.
Lebanon, which hosts approximately 250,000 migrant domestic workers, uses the kafala system, a form of migration sponsorship which ties the legal residency of workers to their employment.
The system has been condemned frequently by human rights groups and activists as abusive. It was also called “modern day slavery” by former Lebanese Labour Minister Camille Abousleiman. Activists have called for the system to be abolished, but despite horror stories and an estimated two deaths of workers per week – often suicide – the practice is still prevalent in Lebanon
