{"id":1089,"date":"2021-07-12T15:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T15:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/?p=474"},"modified":"2023-07-07T07:08:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T07:08:23","slug":"article-the-elephant-in-the-room-confronting-lebanons-relationship-with-migrant-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/article-the-elephant-in-the-room-confronting-lebanons-relationship-with-migrant-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Elephant in the Room: Confronting Lebanon\u2019s Relationship with Migrant Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1089\" class=\"elementor elementor-1089\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2ce0055 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2ce0055\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-28d74a8\" data-id=\"28d74a8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4622fe3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4622fe3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><em>Author\u2019s note:<\/em><\/strong><em> Growing up in a family that has immigrated teaches you wonderful things about the world from a very young age. I\u2019d like to share a memory from my childhood.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>When I was a young boy, maybe 8 or 9, my mother would often take me with her to her workplace. Her supervisor at work was a Sri Lankan man.<\/em> <em>I was a Lebanese boy in Canada, and knew very little about Sri Lankans. The only other people from Sri Lanka I had met were the maids who worked for my grandparents, and I\u2019d seen a few others, from afar, working in homes I had visited while in Lebanon.<\/em> <br \/><br \/><em>I am not ashamed to admit that, at first, I had trouble understanding my mother\u2019s relationship to her supervisor. It didn\u2019t fit what I had come to believe was the relationship between Lebanese people and Sri Lankan people. This is because my childhood had been steeped in a way of categorizing society according to ethnicity. Growing up Lebanese, religious, and exposed to racially-loaded conversations my entire life, I had been understanding and ordering the world and the people in it according to skin color, religion, and accents when speaking other languages than maternal ones.<br \/><br \/>This is just one of the deeply troubling and dangerous ways of viewing the world which I owe to my growing up Lebanese, and which I have spent all of my life unlearning.<br \/><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3081529 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"3081529\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-218b3990 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"218b3990\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-272d40da\" data-id=\"272d40da\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fb2f117 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fb2f117\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lebanese-exploitation-of-migrant-workers-amounts-to-little-more-than-modern-day-slavery-and-enables-our-society-to-shirk-its-responsibilities\"><strong>Lebanese exploitation of migrant workers amounts to little more than modern day slavery and enables our society to shirk its responsibilities.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3428adf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3428adf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3de116d\" data-id=\"3de116d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-704d1ee elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"704d1ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">\n\n\nThe dependency on migrant labor is among the most rotten of eggs on Lebanon\u2019s face.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Migrant workers raise Lebanon\u2019s kids, care for its elderly citizens, clean its streets, fuel and wash its cars, do its laundry, fetch its groceries, develop its construction sites, handle its sewage and make its garbage disappear. These are critical everyday tasks which, virtually anywhere else in the world, are unashamedly performed by the citizens of that country.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In Lebanon, migrant domestic workers, gardeners, and building concierges are everyday actors in a family\u2019s life. But far from receiving the attention and care afforded to a family friend, they often remain marginalized and imprisoned by a system of unrealistic expectations where their bargaining power as a worker is essentially nonexistent.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-883ae48 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"883ae48\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8a33b9a\" data-id=\"8a33b9a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e46cd82 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e46cd82\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10626\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?w=5760&amp;ssl=1 5760w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o-1.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c35558 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c35558\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Credits: <\/em><em>In 2008, Hellina migrated from Ethiopia to work in Beirut, Lebanon. At the time that this picture was taken, she had been working for her current employer for five years. <\/em><em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/unwomen\/32847731616\">Portrait of domestic worker Hellina Desta<\/a>\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/unwomen\/\">UN Women\/Joe Saade<\/a> is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\">CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b020372 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b020372\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8c50f96\" data-id=\"8c50f96\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6fd7eb9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6fd7eb9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Migrant workers account for about 6 percent of all people living on Lebanese soil, but the percentage they represent in the workforce is much higher. The United Nations has found that the Arab States, which include Lebanon, account for the largest share of migrant workers as a proportion of all workers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/---dgreports\/---dcomm\/---publ\/documents\/publication\/wcms_652029.pdf\">at about 41 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is due to these countries implementing something called the Kafala sponsorship system. Formed in the 1950s, this system allows for utmost employer control over migrant workers in their employ. Each individual sponsor is responsible for their workers\u2019 visa and legal status, and many employers even take physical custody of their employees\u2019 passports. This allows the employers to dictate the terms of employment. It also allows them to control workers\u2019 movements and potentially abuse them with little chance of facing legal repercussions.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Lebanon, domestic workers are expected to execute their assigned tasks to perfection and without question. Non-compliance can easily be punished by withheld pay, termination of employment, or worse, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Workers will perform their assignments for an average 100-hour work week, and the notion of overtime pay is virtually nonexistent.<\/p>\n<p>The International Labour Organization (ILO) has consistently called the Kafala system \u2018\u2019barbaric\u2019\u2019, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/documents\/publications\/migrationhr_and_governance_hr_pub_15_3_en.pdf\">has campaigned for it to be<\/a> \u2018\u2019abolished and an alternate policy implemented, or if it is to be retained should [&#8230;] reflect a rights-based approach to labour migration\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Who are Lebanon\u2019s Kafala workers?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In October of 2020, the Lebanese office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) <a href=\"http:\/\/iom.int\/news\/well-being-and-security-migrant-workers-lebanon-deteriorate-beirut-blast#:~:text=Lebanon%2C%20a%20country%20of%20nearly,the%20world's%20most%20impoverished%20countries.&amp;text=At%20the%20time%2C%20IOM%20estimated,their%20jobs%2C%20homes%20or%20livelihoods.\">estimated<\/a> the number of migrant workers in the country at about 400,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These numbers have plummeted, driven by economic hardship which has resulted in the termination of employment for large numbers of migrant workers.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By the end of March of this year, the International Labor Organization claimed that \u201c152,289 regular migrant workers were still working in Lebanon, many coming from some of the world&#8217;s most impoverished countries. Domestic workers, mainly women from Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Kenya, topped the list with 119,081.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remuneration levels <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/248979108_Female_Sri_Lankan_domestic_workers_in_Lebanon_A_case_of_%27contract_slavery%27\">can be completely different<\/a> according to a worker\u2019s nationality, with language skills and education level being determinant factors. Filipina domestic workers could expect to receive a higher remuneration than Sri Lankan and Ethiopian nationals, for example.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-016dd0e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"016dd0e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f8b3ade\" data-id=\"f8b3ade\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8da3bc1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8da3bc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?fit=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10628\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?w=3264&amp;ssl=1 3264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50932282573_aae3bd13bf_o.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7850ba1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7850ba1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Credits: <\/em><em>A large number of migrant laborers in Lebanon work as construction workers, often under inadequate and unsafe work conditions. Note the absence of hard helmets, safety harnesses, steel-toed boots, and gloves. <\/em><em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ilopictures\/50932282573\">Migrant laborers transport wooden beams on a construction site<\/a>\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ilopictures\/\">ILO\/APEX<\/a> is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\">CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-912e484 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"912e484\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c7fffe3\" data-id=\"c7fffe3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6abcb0d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6abcb0d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Outside of domestic work, migrant workers from Bangladesh were estimated at 19,541 and those from Egypt at 9,671, with men mostly working as porters, cleaners, concierges and gas station attendants. According to the ILO, the number of illegal migrant workers is estimated to be around 80,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One can wonder, <i>why does Lebanon rely so heavily on migrant workers?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gphjournal.org\/index.php\/m\/article\/view\/398\">A 2007 study found that<\/a> domestic work is the single most important category of employment among women migrants to Lebanon. The study showed that the increase of women in the labor force and the changing conceptions of women&#8217;s responsibilities \u2018\u2019have resulted in a shift in household responsibilities to hired domestic workers\u2019\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The now-defunct UN-established Global Migration Group had claimed that migrant labor is often a demographically-motivated issue, with workers being brought in from abroad as a response to ageing populations.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Looking at Lebanon\u2019s demographics, this is a rare plausible explanation for the country\u2019s extreme reliance on foreign labor.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/455265\/average-age-of-the-population-in-lebanon\/\">median age in Lebanon<\/a> is currently about 29.6 years old, on par with the global average. However, it&#8217;s on the rise. Except for a dip in 2015, the average age of a Lebanese resident is getting steadily higher. Projections show that the average age in the country will be 35 in 2030, and almost 43 years old in 2050.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5c9501d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5c9501d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5f6eb12\" data-id=\"5f6eb12\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fccb76f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"fccb76f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?fit=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10627\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?w=4032&amp;ssl=1 4032w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/49642266148_ac97d7689b_o.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e559e89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e559e89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Credits: On March 8th, 2020, domestic workers participated in the Women\u2019s March that took place in Beirut. Their slogans and banners focused on the abolishment of the Kafala\/sponsorship system. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/idwf\/49642266148\/in\/album-72157713432165277\/\">IWD &#8211; abolishment of the Kafala\/sponsorship system<\/a>\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/idwf\/\">IDWF<\/a> is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\">CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f8e9478 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f8e9478\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-692543a\" data-id=\"692543a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fafbd4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fafbd4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>And yet Lebanese addiction to foreign labor must be understood according to less rational and sensible explanations. Many Lebanese people simply believe themselves to be above everyday tasks such as taking care of their own families and household.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the owner of a Lebanese cleaning service <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2021\/03\/23\/kafala-lebanon-economic-crisis-human-rights\/\">told Foreign Policy earlier this spring<\/a>, Lebanese people\u2019s refusal to be employed in certain jobs boils down to a deep-seated cultural stigma against domestic work. This is due to classist and racist implications about who performs this type of labor: \u201cthe main reason is not the salary [&#8230;] we [Lebanese] always had foreign cleaners and helpers\u201d, said the owner of the cleaning service.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>How have the compounding crises affected migrant workers?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As Lebanon\u2019s economic and political crises intensified in 2020, a disturbing trend emerged where employers of Kafala domestic workers began abandoning their employees <i>en masse<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of families chose to no longer pay live-in domestic workers their contractually agreed monthly wages, often as low as $200 or lower still, forcing them out of their homes and into\u00a0 joblessness and homelessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Then, the port explosion of August 4th deeply affected Beiruti families, along with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2020\/09\/14\/hardships-lebanons-migrant-domestic-workers-rise\">the migrant workers who worked for them<\/a>, who lost their jobs, homes, and livelihoods. The situation for many has since continued to deteriorate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The IOM has presented survey-based data which shows that after the August 4th blast, 7 percent of foreign nationals claimed to be without shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consider that 7 percent of 400,000 workers are 28,000 unhoused people seeking shelter in public spaces or overcrowded rooms, as a pandemic continues to tear through all of the residents of Lebanon, regardless of which country issued their passport.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In late March of this year, United Press International (UPI) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2021\/03\/29\/lebanon-Migrant-workers-leave-Lebanon-economy-crisis\/4241617038967\/\">reported<\/a> that the evacuation of migrant workers had accelerated at the end of 2020, with Ethiopia and Sri Lanka sending planes to repatriate their nationals, \u201cmostly housekeepers, many of whom had been abandoned by their employers\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Today, Lebanon appears to have lost much of its attractiveness to foreign workers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2021\/03\/29\/lebanon-Migrant-workers-leave-Lebanon-economy-crisis\/4241617038967\/\">According to figures<\/a> provided by Beirut-based consultancy firm Information International, the Lebanese General Security issued 9,780 work permits in 2020 compared to 57,957 the previous year, a decrease of 83 percent. The number of workers from Ghana dropped by 93.9 percent, the Philippines by 86.3 percent, Bangladesh by 85.3 percent and Egypt by 79.2 percent.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Is Kafala modern-day slavery?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Money talks, so let\u2019s look at the numbers. The extreme poverty line is defined by the World Bank as earning $1.90 or less per day, or about $60 per month. According to the New Humanitarian, migrant domestic workers in Lebanon working 18-hour days can typically expect to earn between $100 and $200 monthly, roughly what most North Americans make in a single 8-hour workday.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The UK charity <a href=\"https:\/\/www.antislavery.org\/slavery-today\/modern-slavery\/\">Anti-Slavery International states that<\/a> debt bondage, or bonded labor, is \u2018\u2019the world\u2019s most widespread form of slavery\u2019\u2019 currently found in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Under Kafala, workers who are trapped in poverty enter into disadvantageous agreements in which they borrow money to travel or settle abroad, and are forced to work to pay off the debt, losing control over both their employment conditions and the debt\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bb6e31a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bb6e31a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d7eb38c\" data-id=\"d7eb38c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d07c0e4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d07c0e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10629\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?w=4896&amp;ssl=1 4896w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/50933091662_c5827e8365_o.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e589916 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e589916\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Credits: Lebanese agriculture relies extensively on a migrant Syrian labour force. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ilopictures\/50933091662\">Syrian migrant workers prepare a field for planting<\/a>\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ilopictures\/\">ILO\/APEX<\/a> is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\">CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-86c5919 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"86c5919\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b1225a\" data-id=\"6b1225a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-824dc73 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"824dc73\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>According to an analysis published a few months ago by the <a href=\"https:\/\/hir.harvard.edu\/modern-day-slavery-the-kafala-system-in-lebanon\/\">Harvard International Review<\/a>, some worker recruitment agencies operating under the Kafala system \u201crequire that workers pay fees and incur debt in order to travel abroad for work\u2019\u2019. The analysis goes on to note that many migrant workers will spend their career working to pay off debt acquired as a result of traveling to the host country. According to the author, \u201cthat indebtedness leaves them in irreversible bondage to an owner, a power dynamic that resembles that of slavery.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The article goes on to note that <a href=\"https:\/\/idwfed.org\/en\/resources\/dreams-for-sale-the-exploitation-of-domestic-workers-from-recruitment-in-nepal-and-bangladesh-to-working-in-lebanon\">a 2015 study on the recruitment process of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon<\/a> from Nepal and Bangladesh found that as many as 84 percent of workers surveyed \u201cwould not have traveled away from home if they were informed about the truth of their situation\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In late October of 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/lebanon-kafala-migrant-worker-contract-rejected\">a Lebanese court stopped a new contract system for migrant workers<\/a> from being implemented. While this could have represented a step in the right direction which may have paved the way for the abolition of the Kafala system, the Shura Council instead ruled in favor of Domestic Worker Recruitment, an association of recruitment agencies.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Where do we go from here?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the Lebanese kleptocratic class continues to fail virtually every living person on the country\u2019s territory, it has unsurprisingly <a href=\"https:\/\/arabstates.unwomen.org\/en\/news\/stories\/2021\/02\/migrant-domestic-workers-in-lebanon-face-rising-challenges-amidst-soaring-food-prices\">fallen to the NGO sector to step in<\/a> and ensure the safety of migrant workers, or to <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/wireStory\/lebanese-youth-offer-migrant-workers-back-home-74101844\">help them raise funds and clear legal obstacles<\/a> for workers to be able to return home.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Lebanon\u2019s ironically classless political class are using the deteriorating Lebanese economy as an excuse to sweep the Kafala crisis under the carpet, even though as recently as a few weeks ago, Freedom United <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedomunited.org\/advocate\/open-letter-lebanon-kafala\/\">addressed an open letter to Lebanon\u2019s Ministry of Labor<\/a> petitioning for the end of the Kafala employment system.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the Business &amp; Human Rights Resource Center reported in February of this year, Lebanon\u2019s migrant workers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-humanrights.org\/fr\/derni%C3%A8res-actualit%C3%A9s\/lebanon-all-250000-migrant-workers-left-out-of-the-governments-coronavirus-vaccination-plan\/\">were left out of the government\u2019s coronavirus vaccination plan<\/a>, with the government essentially leaving the planning and execution of this crucial public health measure to the Labor Ministry and UN agencies.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>NGOs like Beirut-based Anti-Racist Movement (ARM) have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/COfK5KYspwY\/\">taken it upon themselves<\/a> to educate migrant workers on their rights to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and how they can achieve this crucial step which allows them to protect themselves and their community.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5dd697c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5dd697c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6d4b76a\" data-id=\"6d4b76a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-079ea29 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"079ea29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6861810396_a86f8967af_o.jpg?fit=640%2C428&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10625\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6861810396_a86f8967af_o.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6861810396_a86f8967af_o.jpg?resize=300%2C201&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83920c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"83920c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Credits: <\/em><em>Advocacy for the rights of migrant workers is not new in Lebanon. This photograph was taken at a Migrant Worker Task Force meeting at Zico House in Beirut in 2012, following the death of Alem, an Ethiopian migrant worker. <\/em><em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hibr\/6861810396\/in\/album-72157629648899477\/\">Justice for Alem<\/a>\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hibr\/\">Hibr<\/a> is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\">CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bab3172 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bab3172\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f243a22\" data-id=\"f243a22\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1caa48e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1caa48e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>And yet while work is scarce and life seems to hang in limbo as the coronavirus pandemic runs its course, migrant workers with little control over their own lives are very literally exposed to a world of risk. In April, the <a href=\"https:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/News\/middle-east\/2021\/04\/11\/Security-forces-find-dismembered-body-of-Ethiopian-migrant-worker-in-Beirut\">mutilated body of a migrant Ethiopian worker<\/a> was discovered abandoned in a plastic bag in Beirut. Results of the investigation into the circumstances of their death have not yet been made public.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There is hope for a better, more equitable approach to employing migrant workers, and Lebanese attitudes towards Kafala labor are changing. Social media campaigns calling for the abolition of this system are being led by organisations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CN-BCmmnOXI\/\">GirlUp Lebanon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CDWDDVnJ3j_\/\">This Is Lebanon 961<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CN2PrwTspbB\/\">Beirut Today<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hopeforhelpers\/?hl=en\">Hope for Helpers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Migrant workers can and should continue to work in Lebanon, but the oppressive Kafala system which takes autonomy and options away from workers must be left in the past, where it belongs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Being allowed to refuse abusive, unsafe, or unfairly remunerated work is a fundamental civil right that any worker anywhere in the world should enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The deeply troubling status quo of Kafala labor has been unmasked, and it must be resolved if a social revolution is to accompany a political one.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I would end with this idea: a society that won\u2019t even take out its own trash, fold its own laundry, or care for its own family members might just have gotten too comfortable with passing the buck on taking responsibility for itself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author\u2019s note: Growing up in a family that has immigrated teaches you wonderful things about the world from a very young age. I\u2019d like to share a memory from my childhood.\u00a0 When I was a young boy, maybe 8 or 9, my mother would often take me with her to her workplace. Her supervisor at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12,163],"tags":[36,43,48],"class_list":["post-1089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-rights","category-issue-3","tag-kafala","tag-migrant-workers","tag-racism"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/32847731616_00bb743ac5_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1089"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10632,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1089\/revisions\/10632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}