{"id":16150,"date":"2024-10-15T19:38:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T16:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/?p=16150"},"modified":"2024-10-16T13:56:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T10:56:44","slug":"unprepared-and-unsupported-lebanons-migrant-workers-amid-surging-israeli-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/unprepared-and-unsupported-lebanons-migrant-workers-amid-surging-israeli-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Unprepared and Unsupported: Lebanon\u2019s Migrant Workers Amid Surging Israeli Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"16150\" class=\"elementor elementor-16150\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b16f385 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b16f385\" 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-3a68e5a\" data-id=\"3a68e5a\" 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-727ef2a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"727ef2a\" 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\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16192\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?w=8192&amp;ssl=1 8192w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-10.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-0325a51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0325a51\" 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 style=\"text-align: center;\">October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alinedeloscampos?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Aline Deschamps<\/a>.<\/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-cb7bc92 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cb7bc92\" 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-6d6549b\" data-id=\"6d6549b\" 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<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-8a936f4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8a936f4\" 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-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-c063b06\" data-id=\"c063b06\" 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-5f0574c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5f0574c\" 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><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ongoing escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, particularly the surge in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, is amplifying the precarity faced by the country\u2019s most vulnerable groups. Among these are refugees and migrant workers, who, alongside Lebanese citizens, are struggling to survive amid the relentless attacks. Since October 2023, an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2024\/09\/1155141\">one million<\/a> people have been displaced, and over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/middle-east\/death-toll-from-israeli-attacks-on-lebanon-since-last-october-surpasses-2-300\/3361039\">2,300<\/a> have been killed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The looming threat of a full-scale ground <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/middle-east-and-africa\/2024\/10\/01\/israels-invasion-of-southern-lebanon-is-escalating-rapidly\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">invasion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adds an additional layer of fear and uncertainty for all residents of Lebanon.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>However, the situation for Lebanon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dtm.iom.int\/reports\/lebanon-baseline-assessment-round-4\">176,000<\/a>\u00a0migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, is especially alarming. These workers, many of whom come from African and Asian countries, are employed under the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/imre.12025\"><i>kafala<\/i>\u00a0system<\/a>\u2014a sponsorship framework that ties their legal status and freedom to their employers.\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mena.iom.int\/sites\/g\/files\/tmzbdl686\/files\/documents\/Migrant%20Workers%27%20Rights%20are%20Women%27s%20Rights_%20June%2016%20_%202021%20FINAL_0.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">majority<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are women, working in private households, often in complete isolation. Their dependency on employers, combined with the structural barriers imposed by the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system, has rendered them uniquely unprepared and unsupported in the face of conflict and displacement.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surfacing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/news-feature\/2024\/09\/26\/lebanons-migrant-workers-left-stranded-homeless-israeli-attacks?utm_content=buffer16467&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> highlight the disturbing trend of migrant workers being abandoned by their employers as the conflict worsens, with some even being forced to stay behind and guard homes in areas directly targeted by Israeli airstrikes. Qualitative interviews as part of a needs assessment conducted by the Institute for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American University in the last week of September 2024, provide tragic testimonies of those left behind and underscore the vulnerability these workers face. An Ethiopian domestic worker in Beirut shares:<\/span><\/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\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-9067582 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9067582\" 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-2b86f86\" data-id=\"2b86f86\" 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-7d66d9a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7d66d9a\" 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><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor the past two years, I\u2019ve been living in my employer\u2019s house, locked inside. I wasn\u2019t allowed to go out\u2014not even to the store\u2014so I never knew what was happening in the outside world. I only saw the streets from the window. The family took my passport on the first day and told me I couldn\u2019t leave the house without their permission. I didn\u2019t know anyone in Lebanon. No friends, no one to call for help. When the bombs started falling, they just packed their bags and left me behind. I had no idea where to go. I was trapped in that house, and when I finally made it out, it was like stepping into a different world\u2014a world I didn\u2019t know how to survive in.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This testimony captures the enduring <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/armlebanon.org\/situation-brief-and-forecasted-needs-of-migrant-domestic-workers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">broader reality<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of many migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, who are isolated from society and deprived of basic rights. The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system, which enforces this isolation, ensures that these workers are systematically denied the information, resources, and freedom they need to protect themselves in times of crisis. In the context of war, these vulnerabilities are not just a failure of labor protections but a humanitarian disaster.<\/span><\/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-a7dbfdc elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a7dbfdc\" 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-f06a7d8\" data-id=\"f06a7d8\" 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-1cbdec7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1cbdec7\" 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=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16194\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?w=8192&amp;ssl=1 8192w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-12.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-2713553 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2713553\" 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 style=\"text-align: center;\">October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alinedeloscampos?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Aline Deschamps<\/a>.<\/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-5d03b65 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5d03b65\" 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-cfa0bd0\" data-id=\"cfa0bd0\" 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<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-4dae7a5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4dae7a5\" 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-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-c8f15b7\" data-id=\"c8f15b7\" 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-39d39c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39d39c7\" 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>An abusive sponsorship system and the global debate on migrant labor exploitation<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system, which dominates labor migration policies across the Gulf and in Lebanon, has been widely criticized by human rights organizations for creating conditions akin to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2022\/01\/04\/lebanons-abusive-kafala-sponsorship-system\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">modern-day slavery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Its structural design ties a migrant worker\u2019s residency status directly to their employer, or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafeel<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which severely restricts their autonomy. Migrant workers under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are denied the ability to assert their rights, change employers, or seek legal recourse without the employer\u2019s permission. This dependency traps workers in exploitative conditions, rendering them vulnerable to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/sociology\/articles\/10.3389\/fsoc.2022.1091957\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and effectively stripping them of the freedoms and protections afforded to other workers.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regionally and globally, calls to abolish the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system have persisted for years. The International Labour Organization (ILO) and numerous human rights groups have long decried the system for the way it renders domestic workers invisible and undervalued within global labor frameworks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite these calls, reforms have been superficial and poorly implemented in most countries, including Lebanon.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/documents\/mde18\/0022\/2019\/en\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amnesty International<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has labeled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an \u201cinherently abusive\u201d system, underscoring that it \u201cincreases [migrant workers\u2019] risk of suffering labor exploitation, forced labor, and trafficking, while leaving them with little prospect of obtaining redress.\u201d In Lebanon, migrant domestic workers are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/documents\/mde18\/0022\/2019\/en\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">excluded<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the Lebanese Labor Law, meaning that if the employment relationship ends, even in cases of abuse, workers lose their legal residency and face <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/civilsociety-centre.org\/content\/migrant-domestic-worker-detained-general-security-underground-detention-center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">detention<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2017\/04\/25\/lebanon-migrant-domestic-workers-children-deported\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deportation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system\u2019s ability to trap workers within abusive dynamics is further exacerbated by employers\u2019 control over critical documents, such as passports and exit visas. Without these, workers cannot leave the country, let alone seek assistance. As one Ethiopian domestic worker recounted, when the conflict in Lebanon escalated she was left with no passport, money, or means of escape. She was abandoned by her employers with no access to legal or humanitarian aid:<\/span><\/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\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-72e7559 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"72e7559\" 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-39dac59\" data-id=\"39dac59\" 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-3e4ae63 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e4ae63\" 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><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWithout my papers, I can\u2019t find a place to stay, and I can\u2019t even reach out to the organizations that help migrant workers because I don\u2019t know where they are, or even how to ask for help. For so long, I\u2019ve been cut off from everything. The kafala system makes sure of that. It keeps you isolated, hidden away, so when the war comes, you\u2019re just left to fend for yourself, but you have no idea how. I don\u2019t know the streets, I don\u2019t know the language, and I don\u2019t have the strength to survive out there. The system made sure I was never able to prepare for this. Now, with nowhere to go, I feel like I\u2019m just waiting for something worse to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to being an isolated incident, reports indicate that many migrant workers have been left behind during the recent conflict, forced to stay and care for homes in bombed areas or left without any way to flee to safety. Even if they possessed the necessary documents, the economic collapse in Lebanon has rendered flights <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c86lgnnw4y3o\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prohibitively expensive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, compounding the impossibility of leaving. Many migrant workers, already earning meager wages, often as low as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c86lgnnw4y3o\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USD 150<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per month before the economic crisis, are no longer receiving salaries at all.<\/span><\/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-5d4111c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5d4111c\" 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-5c9a300\" data-id=\"5c9a300\" 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-526af04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"526af04\" 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=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16196\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?w=7968&amp;ssl=1 7968w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-16.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-347b2d3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"347b2d3\" 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 style=\"text-align: center;\">October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alinedeloscampos?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Aline Deschamps<\/a>.<\/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-eac08f7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"eac08f7\" 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-7145ff9\" data-id=\"7145ff9\" 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<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-08867d3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"08867d3\" 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-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-5cdd857\" data-id=\"5cdd857\" 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-d5698e6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d5698e6\" 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>Successive Crises<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lebanon has endured a series of overlapping crises in recent years, each exacerbating the already <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/africanfeminism.com\/abandoned-in-lebanon-african-migrant-workers-survive-on-grassroots-solidarity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">precarious situation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of migrant workers in the country. From the 2019 economic collapse to the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating Beirut Port explosion of August 2020, these successive emergencies have disproportionately impacted the country\u2019s most vulnerable populations. The ongoing armed conflict, which began in October 2023, is only the latest in a series of catastrophes that has left migrant workers, especially those employed under the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system, exposed, unsupported, and isolated.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the beginning of the economic crisis, a large number of domestic workers have been left <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanrightspulse.com\/mastercontentblog\/the-socio-economic-crisis-in-lebanon-exposes-the-harms-of-the-kafala-system#:~:text=THE%20VULNERABILITY%20OF%20MIGRANT%20DOMESTIC%20WORKERS%20IN%20LEBANON&amp;text=Recently%2C%20however%2C%20their%20situation%20became,forcing%20them%20to%20continue%20working.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unpaid for months<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and in some cases, years. Employers, facing financial ruin, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/today.lorientlejour.com\/article\/1274970\/lebanon-is-a-prison-migrant-domestic-workers-struggle-to-leave-collapsing-lebanon.html#:~:text=Repatriation%20had%20become%20a%20growing,or%20even%20their%20official%20documents.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abandoned<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their domestic workers, leaving them homeless and stranded. In scenes that drew global attention, domestic workers were seen <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/lebanon-kenyan-migrant-workers-camp-outside-consulate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">camping<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> outside various consulates in Beirut, pleading for evacuation as their living conditions deteriorated rapidly.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These conditions worsened after the Beirut Port blast on August 4, 2020. The relief response that followed the blast largely <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/20200826-beirut-blasts-leave-migrant-workers-overlooked-in-life-and-death\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">excluded<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> migrant workers from access to essential aid. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/media\/400916\/download\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> further exacerbated these challenges. Migrant domestic workers were confined in their employers\u2019 homes under strict lockdown measures. Many were forced to work without pay, faced wage cuts, or were denied basic protective measures against the virus.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the current armed conflict continues to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/9\/30\/israeli-attacks-kill-105-people-in-lebanon-as-war-escalates\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">escalate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the cumulative effects of these crises became more pronounced for migrant workers. Employers, following a pattern seen during previous crises, have abandoned their homes, leaving domestic workers behind to fend for themselves. Without papers, money, or access to safe shelters, many migrant workers are trapped, unable to seek refuge or return to their home countries. Testimonies from migrant workers in Beirut reveal the depth of the abandonment they face. Many recount being left without any means of survival:<\/span><\/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\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-785fc84 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"785fc84\" 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-26da90f\" data-id=\"26da90f\" 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-1948cbf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1948cbf\" 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><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen the conflict started, I was trapped in my employer\u2019s house. They left me with nothing\u2014no passport, no money, and no way to leave. I thought there would be some kind of help, some law that would protect us, but nothing came. I went to an international organization to ask for assistance, but they told me they only help refugees or people with proper documents. I have neither.\u201d (Ethiopian, Female, 39)<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a broader context, the situation of migrant workers reflects global trends where migrant laborers are often the first to be discarded during times of crisis. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has repeatedly called for urgent justice mechanisms to address the plight of migrant workers worldwide, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, which exposed the systemic exploitation and exclusion of this labor force. Lebanon, however, remains emblematic of the global failure to protect migrant workers, as evidenced by the continued use of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/timep.org\/2023\/03\/22\/the-time-for-change-is-now-abolishing-the-kafala-system-in-lebanon\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">absence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of meaningful reforms.<\/span><\/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-f9f7f52 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f9f7f52\" 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-f274fac\" data-id=\"f274fac\" 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-308fc35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"308fc35\" 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\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16200\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?w=8192&amp;ssl=1 8192w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.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-9062925 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9062925\" 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 style=\"text-align: center;\">October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alinedeloscampos?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Aline Deschamps<\/a>.<\/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-cf36ac4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cf36ac4\" 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-e26d345\" data-id=\"e26d345\" 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-5f52b4b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5f52b4b\" 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>Grassroots solidarity, hospitality and support systems<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amid the ongoing armed conflict, grassroots solidarity networks have become essential lifelines. Composed of migrant rights <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/armlebanon.org\/migrant-community-center\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">collectives<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/lebanon\/lebanons-migrants-and-other-refugees-needs-assessment\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">faith-based<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> organizations, and community efforts, these groups have stepped in where both the Lebanese government and international humanitarian organizations have failed. However, despite their critical role, they remain under-resourced and unable to meet the vast scale of need.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most active groups is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/egnalegna.org\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Egna Legna<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Beirut-based migrant rights collective providing emergency food, shelter, and temporary work. As a Filipina domestic worker shared:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen the bombing on Beirut started and my employers left, I had no place to go. But some women from my community told me about a grassroots group that helps migrant workers like us. They\u2019ve been giving me food, a place to sleep, and even helped me find some temporary work. Without them, I\u2019d be on the streets.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/amp.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2018\/aug\/01\/secret-networks-rescuing-lebanon-migrant-maids-from-abuse?__twitter_impression=true\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faith-based<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> organizations have also offered shelter and meals, though they too are overwhelmed by the growing demand. A Kenyan worker explained:<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for days now, with no food and no place to stay. [&#8230;] It\u2019s only the local groups or churches that are trying to help, and even they can\u2019t reach everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While these grassroots networks are resilient, their efforts are limited by the lack of formal legal protections for migrant workers. Many are undocumented, further restricting the assistance they can receive. Testimonies show that international organizations have largely focused on refugees, leaving migrant workers overlooked. An Ethiopian domestic worker noted:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen the war started, I thought maybe the big international organizations would help us, but no one came. They are helping refugees, but no one talks about the migrant workers who are also displaced. We don\u2019t fit into their categories, and it\u2019s like we\u2019re invisible. I\u2019ve gone to some places where aid is being handed out, but when they see I\u2019m a migrant worker, they say I don\u2019t qualify.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These grassroots efforts are vital, but without a coordinated international response and formal legal protections, they cannot fully address the needs of displaced migrant workers. The international community\u2019s failure to create comprehensive protection frameworks, combined with Lebanon\u2019s neglect, leaves migrant workers at great risk, relying solely on these overstretched networks.<\/span><\/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-8b5ac36 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8b5ac36\" 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-d5aa723\" data-id=\"d5aa723\" 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-0f07419 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0f07419\" 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\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?fit=800%2C534&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16198\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?w=8192&amp;ssl=1 8192w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-24.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-20a1bfa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"20a1bfa\" 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 style=\"text-align: center;\">October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alinedeloscampos?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Aline Deschamps<\/a>.<\/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-d7a9f83 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d7a9f83\" 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-c1296cf\" data-id=\"c1296cf\" 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<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-effba7d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"effba7d\" 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-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-76985fa\" data-id=\"76985fa\" 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-791c851 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"791c851\" 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>Need for more support structures and reform<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are highly vulnerable, especially during crises, as they fall through the gaps in national and international support systems. The ongoing armed conflict has further highlighted the need for comprehensive protection mechanisms. Despite long-standing calls to abolish the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system, which institutionalizes their exploitation, the sponsorship system persists in Lebanon and other Arab states, trapping workers in cycles of abuse and marginalization.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The global debate on migrant labor exploitation centers on dismantling <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with organizations like the ILO stressing the need for full integration of domestic workers into formal labor protection frameworks.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some Gulf states have introduced superficial reforms, Lebanon has shown little willingness to change. As long as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kafala<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> remains, migrant workers will continue to lack legal rights and access to justice.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lebanon\u2019s latest conflict exposes the profound inequalities in the global labor system. Successive crises\u2014economic collapse, the Beirut Port explosion, and the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014have deepened workers\u2019 vulnerability. Yet, the failure to establish adequate support structures leaves them further abandoned. Urgent reforms are needed at both national and international levels to address these structural inequalities. Without them, migrant workers will remain trapped in exploitation with no recourse to justice or protection. The time for comprehensive action is now.<\/span><\/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\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>October 2024 \u2014 Migrant workers who fled Israeli bombardment at a shelter in Hazmieh, Lebanon. Photo courtesy of Aline Deschamps. The ongoing escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, particularly the surge in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, is amplifying the precarity faced by the country\u2019s most vulnerable groups. Among these are refugees and migrant workers, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160,318],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-column","category-silenced-lands-powerful-voices"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/09-10-24c-29.jpg?fit=8192%2C5464&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16150","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=16150"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16235,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16150\/revisions\/16235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}