Amid rising tensions and looming conflict in Lebanon, 22-year-old Eulita Jerop is trapped, unable to leave due to the restrictive kafala system and the high cost of flights. Discover the harrowing challenges faced by migrant domestic workers in crisis zones.
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Eulita Jerop’s Situation in Lebanon
The 22-year-old Kenyan domestic worker, Eulita Jerop, currently living in Lebanon, is taking traces of the conflict going on in the area. Working in Lebanon for 14 months now, Jerop is not shaken by the breaking of the sound barrier by fighter planes close to Beirut. Despite these hair-raising experiences, an exit from the country is not quite easy for her, as it is bound by very tricky conditions of employment.
The Kafala System: A Barrier to Freedom
Jerop’s troubles in leaving Lebanon are entrenched in the country’s “kafala,” or sponsorship, system. It governs the immigration status of an estimated 250,000 foreign workers and is what makes it so difficult for them to leave. Commonly, employers hold domestic workers’ passports and require them to attain exit visas approved by their employer before leaving the country. This system leaves workers, like Jerop, open and vulnerable with very few rights and control over their circumstances. Though she hasn’t been physically abused, many people in that situation are being overworked and underpaid with some facing even worse conditions.
Fears of Escalating Conflict
Levels of tension in Lebanon have been high, as conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate following an October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. While most of the violence has been confined to southern Lebanon and northern Israel so far, it cannot be excluded that this conflict could spill over to other parts of Lebanon. Several Western countries are asking their citizens to leave Lebanon, but domestic workers like Jerop cannot so easily get away.
Economic and Logistical Challenges
Even with the proper papers, many domestic workers cannot afford to leave because flights can cost up to $1,000. The depressed economy in Lebanon has only heightened this issue, as most of these workers are not paid their meager wages. Another Kenyan domestic worker in Lebanon, Chiku, has similar complaints to Jerop’s. She has been residing in Baabda almost for one year and also would like to go home but she cannot afford the flight. Her employer is forcing her to stay on till the end of her contract, despite the danger imminent in her situation.
Government Response and Evacuation Plans
The Government of Kenya is ready to issue emergency travel documents and provide with emergency flights if the situation worsens. The complication, though, comes in with an estimated 26 000 Kenyans in Lebanon, and 1 500 of them are already signed up for evacuation. Reports say the Ethiopian government has also drawn up contingency plans to evacuate its nationals. The problem is that many Ethiopian workers were abandoned there in Lebanon before this current conflict because the economic collapse in 2020 left them without jobs and unable to afford basic food, let alone a ticket home.
The Uncertain Future of Migrant Workers in Lebanon
Rising violence has made many migrant workers feel that their governments have abandoned them to fend for themselves. While embassies work out some sort of evacuation plans, the prospects seem grim in the immediate term for many. Chiku continued to save up for a flight home but worries about those who can’t do the same. The situation underlines how precarious the conditions of migrant domestic workers are in Lebanon, caught in a crossfire of a conflict not of their making, with little possibility of escape.
