As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues, Lebanon’s mistreated domestic migrant workers are being disproportionately affected; Shelters are denying them access, employers are withholding wages, and bombs are forcing their displacement. Article seven of Lebanon’s labor law, which removes domestic workers from protections, is the culprit.
Kaluwa1, a Kenyan migrant who arrived in Lebanon in October 2023, hoped the job’s remittances would support her family, including the four-year-old son she left behind. Instead she found herself trapped: ‘She [her employer] was verbally abusing, saying a lot of things that caused me mental disturbances,’ Kaluwa says.
Three months later, Kaluwa left, unwilling to suffer more abuse. But her employer had illegally seized her passport, so leaving made her undocumented. She found work with another family, then fled again after further abuse. She now lives in a shelter for trafficking victims, awaiting the papers that will let her return to Kenya.
To stay in Lebanon, Kaluwa and other foreigners must rely on a sponsorship system in which a person or organisation agrees to hire and become legally responsible for them. For domestic migrant workers, in addition to this requirement, employers must provide housing, food, clothing, and other necessities.
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