More than 26,000 Kenyans living and working in Lebanon are likely to remain stranded in the country if a full-scale war with Israel erupts, especially after recent escalations.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon-based fighters Hezbollah began last year, Tel Aviv accusing the group of supporting Palestine militia – Hamas – in its terror.
Israel has bombarded various parts in Southern Lebanon, killing at least 500 people and displacing tens of thousands, occasionally targeting senior members of the Iranian-backed militias.
The conflict mounted recently after Israel orchestrated attacks against Hezbollah members using pagers and other wireless devices, prompting Lebanon to carry out revenge missile strikes across Israel.
Israel is currently contemplating a full-scale ground invasion of Lebanon. For a long time, the top brass of the Israeli security forces have pressured the country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assent to this move.
Many Kenyans working in Lebanon are domestic workers. Some of them have voiced their apprehension in social networks including X (formerly Twitter) and Whatsapp. They have confirmed that the situation is becoming worse, requesting the Kenyan government to evacuate them if need arises.
The ‘Kafala’ System
At the end of August this year, several Western nations asked their citizens to leave Lebanon. This can be an easy affair for citizens of these countries. On the other hand, migrant workers from poorer countries in Africa and the Middle East working in Lebanon are not so fortunate.
According to Freedom Collaborative, Lebanon still maintains the ‘Kafala’ system that allows employers to control the entry, exit, and the rights of their workers. To enforce this rule, migrant workers have their passports and travel documents confiscated thus preventing them from escaping.
Some domestic workers have lamented that their employers have refused to permit them a smooth return to Kenya despite clear signs of a deteriorating situation. Last month, the State Department of Diaspora Affairs said it will issue emergency travel documents and flights for those Kenyans without passports.
The Principal Secretary of the department, Roseline Kathure, said that 1,500 Kenyans had registered for evacuation at the time. As the situation becomes more desperate, some of the workers are demanding immediate action before it is too late.
The Kenyan government has advocated for emigration as a policy to solving unemployment. In October last year, 1,500 Kenyans were allocated to jobs in Lebanon as part of a deal between various agencies and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).
These migrant jobs have been criticized for exposing Kenyans to unmitigated abuse and exploitation. Severally, the government has been called upon to rescue migrant workers languishing in misery with no means to escape. In August 2020, for example, 30 migrant domestic workers and 3 children staged a sit in outside the Kenyan Honorary Consulate in Beirut to protest against abusive working conditions. About four Kenyan women working in the country had gone missing in the four years prior
Brian Nzomo
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