General Security Exposes Massive Fraud in Foreign Worker Documents

“Lebanon Debate”

The Lebanese Directorate of General Security achieved another significant milestone by uncovering one of the biggest fraudulent networks involved in falsifying the documents of foreign workers.

According to the procedures adopted by the Ministry of Labor, any office for foreign workers that wants to recruit male workers should follow many steps. Initially, the office fills out an online form and submits it to the department of the Ministry of Labor in any of its branches. Upon review by the Head of Department, the file is forwarded to the Ministry's headquarters in Beirut for further scrutiny by its head and subsequent approval by the Minister of Labor. Once the latter approves and signs it, the form is returned to the relevant branch, providing the owner with prior approval to proceed with recruitment, which can then be submitted to the Directorate of General Security.

While this process appears meticulous, the reality is totally different. Due to the Syrian worker issue, offices are recruiting workers from Asian and African countries instead.

During the audit of prior approvals issued by the Ministry of Labor Department in Baalbek, General Security uncovered a forgery in one of the transactions. Subsequent review at the Ministry of Labor's main office confirmed the matter, revealing the largest forgery scandal in the ministry's history, without the knowledge of the Minister of Labor, Mustafa Bayram.

Over 500 suspected fraudulent prior approvals are currently under scrutiny by the same department, indicative of an organized fraud network.

This accomplishment by public security showed flaws in the procedures used to obtain prior approval, enabling counterfeiters to perpetrate forgeries. This is not its first achievement following the detection of the bus fraud gang.

Nevertheless, efforts must persist, with a focus on developing methods to streamline and mechanize work processes within the ministry to prevent similar operations in the future.

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