Unprepared and Unsupported: Lebanon’s Migrant Workers Amid Surging Israeli Attacks

October 21, 2024

This article explores the extreme vulnerability of migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. As Israeli airstrikes ravage Lebanon, around one million people have been displaced since October 2023, with over 2,300 deaths. Among those struggling to survive, migrant workers, who operate under the kafala system, are especially at risk.

The kafala system ties a worker’s legal status and freedom directly to their employer, leaving migrant domestic workers, predominantly women from African and Asian countries, in situations of extreme isolation and dependence. Many of these workers are confined to private homes, cut off from resources, and stripped of basic rights. When conflict strikes, they are often abandoned by their employers. Testimonies shared in the article highlight the desperation of workers left behind during airstrikes.

Lebanon’s migrant workers have faced mounting hardships from successive crises, including the 2019 economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. During these crises, they were excluded from aid and relief efforts. Now, amid the armed conflict, they remain unsupported, with many left homeless and stranded. Despite global condemnation of the kafala system from human rights organizations like the International Labour Organization (ILO), reforms have been superficial. Lebanon continues to exclude migrant domestic workers from labor laws, leaving them trapped in exploitative conditions. Without documents or support, workers face deportation or detention if their employment ends, even in cases of abuse.

Grassroots networks, including migrant rights collectives and faith-based organizations, have become vital for providing emergency aid, shelter and temporary work. However, these efforts are under-resourced and overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis. International organizations primarily focus on aiding refugees, overlooking migrant workers who do not fit into traditional aid categories.

The article calls for urgent reforms at both national and international levels to dismantle the kafala system and provide migrant workers with comprehensive protections. Without structural changes, migrant workers will continue to suffer from exploitation and abandonment during future crises. The need for action to address these inequalities is more urgent than ever.

Full article published in Al Rawiya Magazine, here: https://al-rawiya.com/unprepared-and-unsupported-lebanons-migrant-workers-amid-surging-israeli-attacks/