Between Kafala and Governmental Neglect: How Domestic Workers Are Left to Starve During a Global Pandemic

Once again, domestic workers — regardless of nationality — have been abandoned to their fates. But it shouldn’t be that way. These women used to send remittances and contribute to their countries’ GDPs. And yet, most have received no assistance from their governments in a time of emergency. I will continue to call upon all countries with citizens working as domestic workers in Lebanon to own up to their responsibilities. Shutting the doors of their embassies in times like these is immoral. Open your doors, divert funds from other meaningless ventures, and invest in the food and medical supplies your citizen workers desperately need. I also call upon the Lebanese government to allow undocumented domestic workers to leave Lebanon, if they want to, without paying hefty immigration fines. Most have been out of jobs for five, six, some even nine months. Some have had no choice, but to beg on the streets to survive. There’s nothing left to extort from these women. Like everyone else in Lebanon we are all hoping this is the worst of it.