Domestic Migrant Workers in Lebanon: Between Precarity and Resiliency
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University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2021 Domestic Migrant Workers in Lebanon: Between Precarity and Resiliency Jasmine L. Masri University of Central Florida Part of the International and Area Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Masri, Jasmine L., "Domestic Migrant Workers in Lebanon: Between Precarity and Resiliency" (2021). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 980. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/980 DOMESTIC MIGRANT WORKERS IN LEBANON: BETWEEN PRECARITY AND RESILIENCY by JASMINE LYNN MASRI A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in Political Science in the College of Sciences and in the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2021 Thesis Chair: Güneş Murat Tezcür, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The proliferation in the number of domestic migrant workers (DMWs), who travel from poorer countries to work in homes in wealthier countries, represents an essential dimension of globalization in the 21st century. This project focuses on DMWs in Lebanon. In an increasingly globalized world, the study of DMWs, who number around 250,000 in Lebanon (Amnesty International, 2019), provides a critical case to understand how the transborder movement of humans generates unique and challenging human rights issues. Lebanon practices the kafala system, which is prevalent in other Middle Eastern countries and makes foreign workers legally dependent on their employment. This system has often been associated with modern-day slavery as employers gain complete authority over their workers’ freedoms and rights. This thesis explores how factors such as the COVID outbreak and characteristics specific to Lebanon, such as massive anti-government protests, the economic downturn, and the Beirut Blast, deepen the precarity of DMWs, including their access to protection from physical and sexual abuse and financial wellbeing. The thesis also includes a discussion of reform attempts and activism on behalf of DMWs in the country. As well as utilizing news articles, reports, and prior literature, this thesis incorporates interviews with workers, their employers, and NGO workers in the country. By collecting information while the crises are taking place, this research presents unique details about the position of workers as they respond to one challenge after the next. The study confirms the vulnerability of DMWs in times of crisis, highlighting that events such as the anti-government protests failed to advocate for worker’s rights, and crises such as the economic collapse, COVID pandemic, and Beirut Blast created strong nationalistic sentiment that ignored the status of DMWs. Instead of being empowered by progressive demands for Lebanon’s government 2 reform, DMWs were hindered in self-advocacy; instead, much of that activism has taken place on their behalf through NGOs. The thesis attempts to shed light on areas that require immediate attention, including the need to compare Lebanese reforms to those in other states and the necessity of including DMWs in Lebanese labor laws. 3 DEDICATION Dedicated to Lebanon in the hopes that you can do better. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project has been one of the most personally and academically fulfilling experiences of my undergraduate career. I took on my thesis with a little understanding of what research of this kind would entail, and without the help of several incredibly helpful individuals, I would have been completely lost. I would like to extend my gratitude to my Thesis Chair, Dr. Güneş Murat Tezcür, whose knowledge, experience, and mentorship have made this year-long collaboration especially enjoyable and enlightening. Thank you, Dr. Tezcur, for going out of your way to support my personal and professional goals and for setting an example as a mentor and professor. Thank you to my second thesis committee member Dr. Konstantin Ash. You were so quick to provide guidance and advice in the early stages of my research. Your willingness to help and vast knowledge about Lebanon is something I look up to. I would also like to acknowledge the College of Sciences, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and Dr. Kathy S. Cook of the Legal Studies Department for the financial contributions they have made to this project. Additionally, I would like to thank the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program for their provided expertise and valuable workshops. Thank you to all the individuals in Lebanon who took the time out of their lives during a period of crisis and extreme instability. Without your words and thoughts, this project would not be what it is. For supporting me at research conferences, being genuinely interested in my research, and the patience you have had in my dedicating so much time to this project, thank you to my wonderful friends and siblings. Lastly, thank you, thank you, to my parents for exposing me to a world that inspired this project. In moving us to Lebanon, where we lived for four years, you opened my eyes to a beautiful culture and community of people. At the same time, I witnessed injustice and corruption in a country that means so much to me. I hope that this project will serve as a reminder to my Lebanese community that legitimate change is possible. Although I do not say it بحبكن .enough, my time in Lebanon has shaped me for the better, and I appreciate you for it 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................... 0 THE GLOBAL RISE OF DMWS AND LEBANON .................................................................................................... 3 MOTIVATIONS BEHIND MIGRATION AND GLOBAL CONSEQUENCES ........................................................................... 3 GROWTH OF DMWS IN LEBANON .............................................................................................................................. 6 KAFALA SPONSORSHIP SYSTEM IN LEBANON ............................................................................................................ 7 UNIONIZATION AND COLLECTIVE AGENCY.............................................................................................................. 11 CRISES IN LEBANON ................................................................................................................................................. 13 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 16 THEORETICAL INTUITIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Prospects for Institutional Reform ...................................................................................................................... 16 Political Protests and Advocacy on behalf of DMWs ........................................................................................ 17 Sectarian & Class Identities ................................................................................................................................ 18 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Table 1. Domestic worker interviews ................................................................................................................. 20 Table 2. Employer interviews ............................................................................................................................. 20 Table 3. NGO Interviews ................................................................................................................................... 21 INTERVIEW PROCESS ................................................................................................................................................ 21 EMPIRICAL FINDINGS............................................................................................................................................. 23 THE IMPACTS OF THE CURRENCY CRISIS AND COVID-19 ON DMWS IN LEBANON ................................................ 23 THE BEIRUT BLAST AMIDST THE ECONOMIC AND HEALTH CRISES ......................................................................... 30 A “COLOR SCALE” ................................................................................................................................................... 32 REFORM ATTEMPTS – THE STANDARD UNIFIED CONTRACT .................................................................................... 34 DISCRIMINATION IN CRISIS – MIGRANT WORKERS OVERLOOKED........................................................................... 37 The Triple Crises and Deepening Plight of the DMWs...................................................................................... 40 THE KAFALA SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ..........................................................................................