Kafala

Portraitof Nardoos Andryas, 25-year-old Ethiopian women, at her place in a working-class neighborhood near the Beirut River. Shelives with 3 more Ethiopian women. They are squeezed into an attic they turnedinto a cozy and tasteful home. Three sleep in a queen-sized bed, the fourth ona sofa. In the daytime, they gather around a plastic table where they drink teaand plan their single meal of the day. Only one of them still has a full-timejob. Since the start of the economic crisis, the four women have each subsistedon a dollar a day. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. February 2020
A shop window displays domestic worker uniforms on the streets of Beirut. Migrant women are trapped in Lebanon, left to fend for themselves against abuse and poverty. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. September 2018.
A shadow in a wall shows the silhouette of a foreign domestic worker while she walks her employer's dog at the streets of Achrafieh, Beirut. A sponsorship system known as "kafala" leaves maids, nannies and carers outside the remit of Lebanon's labor law, and at the mercy of their employers.Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. October 2017.
“Wendy” –a pseudonym for her protection- holds her little baby inside her temporallyhome in Beirut’s eastern outskirts. She became pregnant a year aftershe left her job as a live-in worker. She moved from one cramped house to thenext, searching for part-time domestic work while sidestepping policecrackdowns on unsponsored migrants. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2020.
Things to carry back home. Belongings of Julia, 26-year-old Ethiopian, at her home in a working class neighborhood near the Beirut river. She is undocumented and has been in Lebanon for five years. She is a victim of multiple sexual assaults, she is afraid to leave her house to run errands, and her prolonged absence has wreaked havoc on her life back home. She wants to be back home with her kids in Ethiopia. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. February 2020.
Portrait of Julia, 26-year-old Ethiopian, at her home in a working class neighborhood near the Beirut river. She is undocumented and has been in Lebanon for five years. She is a victim of multiple sexual assaults, she is afraid to leave her house to run errands, and her prolonged absence has wreaked havoc on her life back home. She wants to be back home with her kids in Ethiopia. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. February 2020.
Remembrance event in Lembibo’s honor. Lembibo, an Ethiopian domestic worker, was found dead in 2018 in a swimming pool at the home of her recruitment agent. Authorities did not make any arrests over the 26-year-old’s death. Beirut. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Lebanon. September 2018.
An injured domestic worker lies in a bed hospital after “jumping” from a window. Cases of abuses are reported regularly, with workers often unable to obtain their rights or even flee because all their money and travel documents are held by their employers. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. February, 2019
Remembrance event in Lembibo’s honor. Lembibo, an Ethiopian domestic worker, was found dead in 2018 in a swimming pool at the home of her recruitment agent. Under current labour laws it’s estimated that around 2 workers die per week. ⁣ Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Lebanon. September 2018.
Several hundred protesters took to the streets to demand better working conditions for migrant domestic workers and call for the abolishment of Lebanon’s controversial kafala system. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. May 2019.
A drawing from a domestic worker activist.during a demonstration. Migrants domestic workers frequently fail to receive a minimum wage, sick days or holidays, and low wages, non-payment of wages, long work days, forced confinement, intimidation and harassment are frequently reported.Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. May 2019.
Portrait of Julian Rebamonte, 22-year-old Philippine while she looks at the window inside the Philippine Embassy in Beirut. “I want to leave because of the crisisand because my boss didn’t give me a salary for almost a year and two months.” Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut. Lebanon. February 2020
Philippine women wait for leaving Lebanon inside The Philippine Embassy in Beirut on February 2020. Hundreds of Philippines, most of them female domestic workers, flocked to their embassy to sign up for free repatriation from the crisis-hit country. Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2020.
Philippine women prepare their luggage inside The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon in February 2020. Hundreds of Philippines, most of them female domestic workers, flocked to their embassy to sign up for free repatriation from the crisis-hit country. Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2020.
Maria Mamites, a 39 years old Philippine, waits to leave Lebanon inside The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon in February 2020. He was washing dishes when her employer told her to leave the house. She wandered aimlessly until she reached the Philippines embassy. She returned to her country two weeks ago. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2020.
Philippine women wait for leaving Lebanon inside The Philippine Embassy in Beirut on February 2020. Hundreds of Philippines, most of them female domestic workers, flocked to their embassy to sign up for free repatriation from the crisis-hit country. Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2020.
Sunday afternoon at a crowded and energetic Ethiopian evangelical church service. The mostly female gathering swayed to the sound of gospel music, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and hips. Outside, the women are vulnerable to harassment and deepening poverty. Here they are carefree and protected by fellow nationals. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. February 2020.
Sunday afternoon at a crowded and energetic Ethiopian evangelical church service. The mostly female gathering swayed to the sound of gospel music, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and hips. Outside, the women are vulnerable to harassment and deepening poverty. Here they are carefree and protected by fellow nationals. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. February 2020.
Philippines domestic workers during their day off in Sanayeh Park. The Philippines embassy, which treats Lebanon as a crisis country, has held a months-long voluntary repatriation program for Filipino citizens. Around 1,800 mostly female nationals have applied to return – hundreds have already been evacuated. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. September 2014.
Awareness raising event highlighting the vibrant Ethiopian community and it’s hosted by The Migrant Community Center in Beirut. MCC welcomes migrant workers to a varied cultural activities and training panel. It is open to all domestic servants, who come mostly from Asia and Africa to work in Lebanese homes and to help those who work in poor working conditions. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. December 2018
Awareness raising event highlighting the vibrant Ethiopian community and it’s hosted by The Migrant Community Center in Beirut. MCC welcomes migrant workers to a varied cultural activities and training panel. It is open to all domestic servants, who come mostly from Asia and Africa to work in Lebanese homes and to help those who work in poor working conditions. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. December 2018
Domestic workers during their day off outside Beirut. A devasting economic crisis struck Lebanon last November and domestic workers living conditions went from bad to worse. Growing legions of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are scrambling to return to their home countries. But a lack of documentation, accumulating penalty charges and a fear of Lebanese security forces complicates this process to the point where many migrants see Lebanon as a dead-end. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. April 2019.
Awareness raising event highlighting the vibrant Ethiopian community and it’s hosted by The Migrant Community Center in Beirut. MCC welcomes migrant workers to a varied cultural activities and training panel. It is open to all domestic servants, who come mostly from Asia and Africa to work in Lebanese homes and to help those who work in poor working conditions. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. September 2018
Portrait of Julia, 26-year-old Ethiopian, at her home in a working class neighborhood near the Beirut river. She is undocumented and has been in Lebanon for five years. She is a victim of multiple sexual assaults, she is afraid to leave her house to run errands, and her prolonged absence has wreaked havoc on her life back home. She wants to be back home with her kids in Ethiopia. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for CNN. February 2020.

“Under Kafala Law: Domestic workers in Lebanon “ is a project to give an insight into the lives of migrant workers in Lebanon and to explore their experiences of abuse, exploitation, and dignity bringing humanity back into the untold story of thousands of workers living and suffering under The Kafala System in Lebanon.

Lebanon is home to over 250,000 migrant domestic workers who come from African and Asian countries and work in private households. Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are trapped in a web woven by the kafala system, an inherently abusive migration sponsorship system, which increases their risk of suffering labor exploitation, forced labor, and trafficking and leaves them with little prospect of obtaining redress.

All migrant domestic workers are excluded from the Lebanese Labor Law and are governed instead by the KAFALA SYSTEM which ties the legal residency of the worker to the contractual relationship with the employer. If this employment relationship ends, even in cases of abuse, the worker loses regular migration status. Moreover, the worker cannot change their employer without the latter’s permission and they become illegal the moment they decide they don't want to work under these conditions anymore.

Migrant domestic workers are trapped in Lebanon, left to fend for themselves against abuse and poverty. They frequently fail to receive a minimum wage, sick days or holidays, and low wages, non-payment of wages, long workdays, forced confinement, intimidation, and harassment are frequently reported. Cases of abuses are reported regularly, with workers often unable to obtain their rights or even flee because all their money and travel documents are held by their employers.

On top of the lack of legal protections, domestic workers are subject to a wide range of illegal abuses - including the confiscation of passports, withholding of wages, and physical violence - yet there are many barriers to legal recourse. The lack of protection for migrant domestic workers in Lebanon leaves the door open to abuse. Two domestic workers are estimated to die in Lebanon each week, many in suicides or botched escape attempts.

This project has been published on:

CNN: https://cnn.it/2I0d7h4

NZZ: https://www.nzz.ch/international/hausmaedchen-in-arabischen-laendern-dem-dienstherr-ausgeliefert-ld.1501745

Revista 5W: https://www.revista5w.com/why/la-revuelta-contra-la-madame-libanesa