Exposing the Harsh Reality of Migrant Domestic Workers

October 18, 2024

Upon visiting an Airbnb a week ago, my friends and I stumbled upon a schedule with a list of instructions directed towards a migrant domestic worker (MDW). At first glance, the schedule is full each day, with neither a resting day on weekends nor breaks. These instructions and schedule were posted on a wall in the cleaner’s room, which is 2mx4m with no ventilation except for a window at the far top of the room. Several studies have shown that live-in MDWs frequently live in subpar conditions and are denied basic human rights, as signified in the ILO Convention No. 189. The Kafala System in Lebanon has allowed employers to exercise total power over MDWs, allowing them to impose rules, working hours and workloads that are not in line with the Lebanese Labor Law. As a result, MDWs have been subjected to inhumane practices, such as allowance withholding, food deprivation and lack of medical coverage, which have further exacerbated MDWs’ situations.

While the schedule pictured below is not representative of how all employers treat MDWs, unfortunately, it does resonate with several accounts of different MDWs who have protested the unfair work practices and the lack of accountability enforced by the government. The MDW with such a schedule is expected to wake up early before children go to school to prepare lunch boxes and breakfast for them. Moreover, the schedule encapsulates the lack of rest periods, with no “break” or “off” mentioned in any part of the schedule and the instructions. Likewise, there is no mention of the number of hours expected per day; rather, the MDW is anticipated to be ready for any instruction throughout the day and night. Also, upon further scrutiny, the MDW is assigned different roles, such as a cleaner, nanny and cook. The job expects the MDW to have the needed knowledge and experience to perform to the utmost, all while always smiling, as the instruction indicates, “KEEP SMILING ALWAYS”.

In many ways, these practices are normalized and, unfortunately, sometimes praised by other employers and recruitment agents who regularly monitor MDWs and advise employers on best practices to keep the MDW in check. Additionally, MDWs are forced to be fully attentive to the house when they clean, and if any item is broken, they will be expected to pay from their salaries, which sometimes are less than the item itself. As shown in the rules sheet, “DON’T BREAK ANYTHING OTHERWISE YOU WILL PAY FOR IT (if it’s expensive).” With such strict rules that are accompanied by a lack of leisure, MDWs are often stuck in exploitative environments that are allowed and precipitated by the Kafala System. These practices are extensions of the systemic racism that is inherent in the system, which propagates exploitation and racism.

Furthermore, these practices are common with dark-skinned MDWs (Diab et al., 2023). Several studies have shown that MDWs from African countries are deemed less apt than those from Southeast Asia, mainly the Philippines. The rules at the Airbnb have not been confirmed to be directed towards a dark-skinned MDW. However, the owners of the establishment did have a dark-skinned MDW. These practices further show the systemic racism that is present in Lebanon. Studies have shown that dark-skinned MDWs are less likely to have breaks than their South Asian counterparts and get paid less. Additionally, the language used in Lebanon in public and private spaces is laced with racist innuendos and the assumption that MDWs from African countries are not very intelligent and need to be controlled due to their disposition for stealing and claiming married men, as claimed. Studies have shown that MDWs are prone to sexual assault and exploitation by male employers, but these advances are blamed on the MDW, who is deemed “promiscuous” and has a plan to “steal” the husband for monetary reasons.