The Levantine banality of evil: Kafala system in Lebanon

* Photo: Twitter (Jad Chaaban)

The world has been discussing the roots of racism and its implications on our daily lives with the release of a video: George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered by police in Minnesota as he kept repeating: "I can't breathe".

Meanwhile, another video reflecting deep-rooted racism in a society far from the USA has been released: A Lebanese woman with a luxurious car dropping her Ethiopian domestic worker at the door of the Ethiopian Embassy in Lebanon without money, passport or papers, just with luggage and a disposable face mask.

The similar feeling that I had while watching these two videos made me think that maybe this time things will be different, maybe the current global movement against racism will also highlight the situation of migrant workers in the region?

'Why do these people package my own stuff?'

I am from Antakya and my grandparents were lucky enough to spend their long vacations driving alongside the coast from Antakya to Beirut. Growing with the stories of Beirut's jasmine-scented streets, listening to Fairouz, and reading all of Amin Maalouf's books, I knew I would end up in Beirut with romantic childhood stories in my luggage.

After studying its history and politics at university, I moved to Lebanon in 2016 to work for a development project in its regions of North and Bekaa. The first time I went shopping in Beirut at a well-known supermarket chain, I had only one question in my mind: "Why are these people in uniforms packaging my own stuff in the shopping cart?" I always felt embarrassed not knowing if I should help or let them do it so that they can be tipped.

Then I started reading about the migrant workers' stories, particularly migrant domestic workers, in addition to my daily experiences at several Lebanese houses. I was never sure how should I greet the person- if I should kiss and hug her like the others, as she is living in that house and member of that household, or was she a stranger so I should just wave and say hi from far with an uncomfortable smile?

Migrant domestic workers exempted from Labor Law

Lebanon is home to over 250,000 migrant domestic workers from African and Asian countries, women being the majority and work in private households. All migrant domestic workers are excluded from the Lebanese Labor Law and are under the kafala system, a set of rules that tie the legal residency of the worker to the contractual relationship with the employer that is established via agencies.

The Kafala system was developed as a "sponsorship system" that requires all unskilled workers to have an in-country sponsor who employs them and becomes responsible for their visa and legal status. This inherently abusive sponsorship system eliminates the concept of decent work and increases the risk of suffering from labor exploitation, forced labor and trafficking.

According to the regulations, if a migrant domestic worker refuses exploitative working conditions and decides to leave the home of the employer without the latter's consent, even in case of abuse, the worker risks losing their residency status and consequently faces detention and deportation. Additionally, they can be deported if they decide to organize for their rights or even have children.

The migrant domestic workers after being connected to the employer/sponsor by the recruitment agencies, move into the house to live in one small room that is in or next to the kitchen in Lebanese houses.

In general, they suffer from extreme working hours and lack of rest days, severe restrictions on freedom of movement and communication, food deprivation and lack of proper accommodation, verbal and psychological abuse, and physical violence. It is reported that two foreign workers die on average every week and roughly half of the reported deaths are classified by embassies as suicides.

Ethiopian migrants and 'banality of evil' 

Just like others, Ethiopian migrants started moving to Lebanon in the '90s. Currently, around 150,000 Ethiopian women are working there with monthly salaries as little as 150 USD. Due to the latest devastating economic crisis, it has now become unaffordable for many middle and working-class families that have long been used to having a live-in maid.

As simple as that, Lebanese started abandoning Ethiopian employees at the Embassy of Ethiopia to put the responsibility on the Embassy. This act of dropping the domestic worker at the Embassy reminds one of Hannah Arendt's banality of evil.

According to Hannah Arendt, engaging in evil behavior can be normalized by society and individuals who reside there. Can one do evil without being evil? These Lebanese who are someone's neighbor, uncle, friend, aunt, or mother, do they perform evil deeds without evil intentions? Are they 'neither perverted nor sadistic', but 'terrifyingly normal' as Hannah Arendt reported on the war crimes trial of Adolph Eichmann? Arendt found Eichmann to be an ordinary man who was not an amoral monster who in her words, performed evil deeds without evil intentions, a fact connected to his 'thoughtlessness', a disengagement from the reality of his evil acts.

Is a revolution complete without eliminating racism?

Some small groups are fighting for migrant domestic workers' rights in Lebanon. They are a minority, but loud enough to be mentioned - especially during the times of change. Lebanon has been witnessing massive protests across the country since October 2019, which culminated with the prime minister stepping down on October 29.

Protests are still ongoing despite the COVID-19 pandemic, while the whole world is reflecting on its priorities and us pondering on who we want to be when this pandemic is over- Lebanese are calling for revolution!

While they are revolting against their corrupted government and fighting for equality, most of them do not include migrant workers in this fight for equality- "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Many Lebanese acknowledge the situation but simply think that their struggles come first, they consciously postpone all other struggles.

With full respect to Lebanese peoples' right to self-determination of their own revolution, one should ask: Is a revolution complete when deep-rooted racism (expressed through the Kafala system and beyond) is not eliminated? Would it still have been the same to visit Lebanon and walk in the jasmine scented streets without thinking of these Ethiopian women?

The uprising in Lebanon creates an opportunity and space for all Lebanese citizens to challenge their aunts, neighbors and friends about not only the treatment of migrant domestic workers but also the treatment of all "Others".

[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/lebanese-revolution-abolish-kafala-system-191114115435950.html 

(VY/SD)