Combatting human trafficking in Lebanon: Prosecution, protection, and prevention

Abstract

This chapter highlights the many divergent and complex factors that have made Lebanon a source of human trafficking. Despite the presence of trafficking within the country, Lebanese society is generally unaware of the crime and its consequences: due to the presence of poverty in the country and a general lack of awareness about human trafficking, the remote and marginalized areas in Lebanon are more vulnerable to this criminality. This chapter first addresses the recent Lebanese Law No. 164/2011, "Punishment for the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, "from a legal perspective and follows with an overview of practical strategies to combat the trend by stakeholders including security agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). From a preventive perspective, this chapter further reinforces the urgent need to set up some preventive policies and procedures, which must be implemented and enforced by the Lebanese laws to ensure that the issue of human trafficking is properly dealt with at all levels; such levels include economic, social, and cultural. Additionally, the chapter introduces the idea of a Lebanese national strategy to combat trafficking, taking into consideration legal incrimination, efficient penalty, proper law enforcement, victim protection and prevention, and both individual and social equipment to bring awareness to such crimes and their consequences. Finally, this chapter seeks to identify these efforts by the Lebanese government system and analyze their effectiveness in eliminating human trafficking.