BEIRUT: Lebanon’s General Security is disrupting migrant workers' right to family life with a recently issued directive that restricts the renewal of residency permits. It has resulted in the deportation of some migrants’ children and their mothers, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

“A recent decision by General Security, Lebanon’s security agency in charge of foreigners’ entry and residency, to deny residency permit renewals for a number of low-wage migrants who have had children in Lebanon and for their children disproportionately interferes with the right to family life,” HRW said in a joint statement with other nongovernmental organizations.

Since May of this year, the group said that nearly a dozen female migrant workers reported to human rights groups that General Security turned down their request to renew their residency papers. Some were reportedly told that they were not allowed to have children while working in Lebanon and given a short period of time to leave.

“In some cases, they said, they were given as little as 48 hours.” [Link]