Isatta Bah, a 24-year-old from Sierra Leone, spends her days in a crowded shelter on the outskirts of Beirut, waiting for an exit visa. Holding her one-year-old daughter, Blessing, she dreams of reuniting with her family after enduring harsh work conditions, abuse, and the recent war in Lebanon.
“My experience in Lebanon is not good for me. I am really tired,” Bah said. “I want to go home.”
Hundreds of migrant workers like Bah are trying to leave Lebanon following a ceasefire that ended the 14-month conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Many of these workers came to Lebanon seeking better lives under the Kafala sponsorship system. However, promises of stable jobs and good pay often turned into a nightmare of withheld wages, long hours, confiscated passports, and abuse.
Bah arrived in Lebanon in 2022, expecting a supermarket job paying $200 a month. Instead, she was assigned to care for an elderly woman. Shortly after, tragedy struck—her three-year-old son back home became ill and passed away. Bah was not allowed time to grieve, and after fleeing her employer’s house, her situation worsened.
She and her housemates once fell into a dangerous situation when a taxi driver left them stranded, leading to a horrific attack by a group of men. Bah, who courageously shared her story, recalled the trauma of that night. Months later, she discovered she was pregnant.
When war escalated in September, Bah fled Beirut’s southern suburbs with her baby. She is now among over 200 women sheltered in a repurposed space called The Shelter, run by activists like Dea Hajj Shaheen. The shelter offers modest living conditions, with rows of mattresses and a kitchen alive with activity, but it has become a haven for migrant women in crisis.
According to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 37 migrant workers have died and 150 were injured during the conflict. Many workers fear seeking help from government shelters due to the risk of detention or deportation, forcing them to rely on NGOs, embassies, and community groups for support.
Repatriation efforts have been slow. The IOM has helped over 400 migrants return home, including through charter flights for people from Sierra Leone and Bangladesh. However, thousands more remain stranded, waiting for their turn to leave.
For Bah, the process has been complicated by missing documents and the need for her baby’s travel clearance. With help from a lawyer and volunteers, she hopes to finally return home and pursue her dream of studying computer science.
“When I watch Blessing walk or laugh, that gives me joy,” Bah said. “I wish to go back home to continue my education. I’ve always wanted to study computer science because I’m good at it.”