Author: Antoine Abou-Diwan

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Hundreds hit the streets of Beirut on 24 June 2018 to protest the kafala system, which strips migrant workers of their rights and binds them to their employers (photo: Antoine Abou-Diwan)

Human rights in Lebanon

Kafala and its ʹcommoditiesʹ

"Where is your bint from?" is not an unusual question in Lebanon. 'Bint' means girl in Arabic, but here refers to housekeepers, maids or nannies working in Lebanon under kafala sponsorship. It is a loaded term that refers to thousands of African and Asian workers arriving in Lebanon every year. By Antoine Abou-DiwanMore

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