Migrant Domestic Workers Left Vulnerable by War, Here’s How You Can Help
As war forces thousands of people in Lebanon to flee their homes, migrant domestic workers are often left out of the conversation.
Across the country, many of these workers suddenly find themselves without shelter, support, or documents. While families evacuate conflict zones, domestic workers are sometimes left behind to fend for themselves.
Invisible in Crisis
Their legal status in Lebanon is usually tied to their employer through the Kafala system, which gives employers significant control over their residency and employment. Because of this system, many workers cannot easily leave their jobs, change employers, or even travel without permission. The arrangement creates a major power imbalance and leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation or abandonment.
When crises hit, whether it be economic collapse or war, these vulnerabilities become even more severe.
During periods of conflict in Lebanon, entire neighborhoods can evacuate overnight. Families often head north or seek shelter with relatives, but domestic workers do not always have the same options. Reports from humanitarian groups and journalists show that some workers are left behind in conflict areas, while others leave with nothing but the clothes they are wearing, sometimes without their passports or phones.
Many who escape to safer areas face the challenge of finding shelter. Emergency shelters across Lebanon frequently prioritize displaced Lebanese families. Some migrant workers report being turned away entirely, leaving them homeless or sleeping on the streets. In some cases, community shelters and volunteer groups step in, but these resources are limited.
Multiple organizations are raising funds to support migrant domestic workers while also providing emergency relief to others affected by the war. While structural reforms are needed, there are immediate ways people in Lebanon can help migrant domestic workers during times of war or displacement.
How You Can Help
Here’s a list of organizations that you can support, whether it be through donations, volunteering, and/or crowd funding:
1. Egna Legna: A Lebanon-based, women-led migrant domestic worker organization providing humanitarian aid and advocacy since 2017. Click here to donate to their emergency relief fund, and make sure to follow their Instagram for updates.
2. Migrant Workers’ Action: An international NGO advocating to abolish Lebanon’s exploitative Kafala system and advance migrant domestic workers rights through research, community organising, and systemic advocacy. Click here to donate to their emergency relief fund, and make sure to follow their Instagram for updates.
3. REMAN: A migrant‑led collective in Lebanon, founded by African domestic workers to organize community support, raise awareness, and provide direct emergency relief and advocacy for migrant workers and their families. Click here to donate to their emergency relief fund, and make sure to follow their Instagram for updates.
4. Tres Marias: A Philippina‑led community organisation in Lebanon and the Philippines that provides humanitarian relief, skills training, and capacity‑building support to migrant domestic workers. Reach out to them via Instagram for inquiries about donations, and make sure to follow them for updates.
5. DoWAN: A women‑led advocacy collective supporting survivors of modern‑day slavery and exploitation, empowering former migrant domestic workers. Reach out to them via Instagram for inquiries about donations, and make sure to follow them for updates.
6. Syrian Eyes: A volunteer‑run humanitarian team in Lebanon that provides emergency relief, development projects, medical aid, education, and rights‑based support for displaced and vulnerable communities. Reach out to them via Instagram for inquiries about donations, and make sure to follow them for updates.
You can also support Tres Marias, Reman, Syrian Eyes and DoWAN by donating to Voices of the Unseen 2026, the grassroots emergency response coalition they formed to provide direct humanitarian aid and mutual‑aid assistance with a focus on supporting marginalized groups often overlooked in crises. Click here to donate to their emergency relief fund.
Want to support more initiatives? Make sure to check out the #Support Lebanon section on our website.
