Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are facing growing hardship as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah adds to the long-standing problems created by the country’s sponsorship system.
Workers have reported abuse, withheld wages, displacement and difficulties accessing shelters, while some have been trapped in areas affected by fighting. Advocates say the situation is made worse by Article 7 of Lebanon’s labour law, which excludes domestic workers from many of the protections available to other employees.
Kaluwa, a Kenyan migrant who arrived in Lebanon in October 2023, had hoped to earn money to support her family, including her four-year-old son back home. Instead, she said she experienced repeated verbal abuse from her employer.
After about three months, Kaluwa left the household. Her employer had kept her passport, however, leaving her without the documents needed to maintain her legal status. She found another domestic job but eventually left that position as well following further abuse.
Kaluwa is now staying in a shelter for trafficking victims while waiting for the documentation required to return to Kenya.
Like many foreign domestic workers in Lebanon, Kaluwa entered the country under a sponsorship arrangement commonly known as Kafala. Under the system, a sponsor or employer takes responsibility for a foreign worker’s legal status. Domestic employers are also expected to provide workers with necessities such as accommodation, food and clothing.
The system became widespread after Lebanon’s civil war, when sectarian tensions and changing social conditions contributed to increased demand for workers from abroad. Today, more than 250,000 migrant domestic workers from Africa and Asia are estimated to work in Lebanese households.
However, Article 7 of Lebanon’s labour law excludes domestic servants employed in private homes from many of the rights granted to other workers. Rights groups and researchers say this legal gap has helped create conditions in which exploitation and abuse can occur with limited oversight.
Domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because they often live in the same homes where they work. This can give employers extensive control over their movement, working hours and daily activities.
Workers also face restrictions when attempting to leave their jobs. The confiscation of passports is another major barrier. An International Labour Organization study cited in the report found that 94.3 per cent of employers illegally confiscated workers’ passports.
For workers facing abuse, the choice can become extremely difficult: remain in an abusive household or leave and risk becoming undocumented.
Caritas, which assists migrant domestic workers and trafficking survivors, described this dilemma as a choice between becoming undocumented and continuing to endure abuse.
The ongoing conflict has added another layer of danger. Caritas said migrant domestic workers were already struggling with difficult living and working conditions before the latest escalation, but bombing and displacement have created additional pressure.
The organisation has reported an increase in mental health cases linked to the conflict. Some workers have fled employers’ homes and sought refuge in shelters because they were frightened and needed safer places to stay.
Previous periods of instability in Lebanon have also had a disproportionate effect on migrant domestic workers. A United Nations report published in 2021 found that migrants were more likely to report abuse, reduced wages and restrictions on their movement during periods of crisis.
Caritas said some employers whose incomes have been affected by the war have reduced the wages they pay domestic workers.
Displacement has also exposed inequalities in access to emergency assistance. While Lebanese citizens and migrant workers have both been forced to leave areas affected by fighting, the organisation KAFA said some migrants were refused entry to government-run shelters despite government assurances that they would be admitted.
Other workers have remained trapped inside homes in areas under bombardment while employers sought assistance from humanitarian organisations and government agencies.
Caritas has documented cases of domestic workers stranded in homes in Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil, near Lebanon’s border with Israel. The organisation said it could not safely advise workers in active conflict zones to leave their homes.
UN agencies, the Red Cross and Caritas emergency teams have all taken part in efforts to assist workers trapped in frontline areas.
For migrants trying to leave Lebanon altogether, the conflict has also slowed the process of obtaining the necessary documentation. Caritas said procedures that previously took around two months can now take as long as six months.
The experiences of migrant workers also vary according to nationality and ethnicity. Adriana, a Filipino domestic worker living in Beirut’s Achrafieh district, said she has had a positive experience since arriving in Lebanon three years ago to work as a maid.
She said she receives a good salary, is treated well by her host family and enjoys spending her free time hiking.
Her experience, however, does not reflect the situation faced by many other domestic workers. Researchers have described a hierarchy in which workers from some nationalities are viewed as more deserving of rights and better treatment than others.
Filipino workers are often placed near the top of this hierarchy and can receive higher wages. Yet Adriana said she has also experienced derogatory treatment and heard domestic workers being called offensive names.
A KAFA study found that 65 per cent of migrant domestic workers surveyed reported experiences of forced labour and servitude, highlighting the scale of the risks faced by workers despite differences between individual employers and households.
Migrant workers have also developed their own networks to cope with the challenges of the Kafala system. Community gatherings, sports activities and support groups provide opportunities for workers to build connections and seek assistance.
Ethiopian domestic workers, for example, have established Mesewat, a grassroots organisation that advocates for workers’ rights and organises community events, including celebrations of Ethiopian New Year and Christmas.
Psychosocial support has also helped some workers deal with the pressures they face. Kaluwa said counselling had helped reduce some of the stress caused by her experiences.
Lebanon has made attempts to reform the system. Efforts to introduce legislation regulating domestic work were still being discussed as recently as 2022, but no comprehensive reform has been adopted.
Advocacy groups argue that the system remains in place partly because employers benefit from it and therefore have little incentive to support major changes.
At the same time, attitudes may be gradually changing. KAFA said younger generations appear to have greater awareness of workers’ rights and that some of the most severe forms of abuse reported in the past have become less common.
However, the lack of clear rules continues to create problems for both workers and employers. Because domestic workers generally live inside employers’ homes, disputes can quickly become more serious when there are no effective mechanisms for resolving conflicts.
Caritas has described the Kafala system as harmful to both sides, saying it can effectively trap migrant workers and employers within difficult household relationships.
Human rights advocates say a major step toward reform would be to remove domestic workers from the exemption in Article 7 of Lebanon’s labour law. This would allow them to benefit from protections such as minimum wage and limits on working hours that apply to other workers.
The country’s political and economic difficulties, combined with the ongoing conflict, make immediate legal reform difficult. Advocates nevertheless argue that social change can continue through greater public awareness and stronger support for domestic workers.
KAFA said years of advocacy have already contributed to increased awareness of migrant workers’ rights. Greater public knowledge could encourage employers to comply with their obligations while increasing social pressure against abusive practices.
Education for employers could also make a measurable difference. Research by the International Labour Organization found that employers who understood restrictions on controlling workers’ movements were less likely to lock workers inside their homes.
Among employers who believed Kafala allowed them to confine a worker inside the house, 56.3 per cent reported doing so. The figure fell to 37.1 per cent among those who knew that such confinement was prohibited.
For advocates, the findings demonstrate that better understanding of workers’ rights can influence behaviour, even before wider legal reform takes place.
As Lebanon continues to face conflict and instability, migrant domestic workers remain among those most exposed to the consequences. Reforming the legal framework, improving access to shelters and documentation, and strengthening awareness of workers’ rights could help reduce the risks they face under a system that has left many with limited protection.