“I want to go home,” Kenyan Eulita Jerop tells the BBC from Lebanon, where she is employed as a domestic worker.
But the terms of her employment make it difficult for her to leave, despite fears of an all-out war in the country.
She has been terrified by the unfamiliar sounds she has heard overhead on the outskirts of the capital, Beirut.
The 35-year-old has been working there for the past 14 months.
“It was so scary. We were told it wasn’t bombs, but it was [planes breaking] the sound barrier,” she says. “But the sounds were hitting so hard.”
Her anxiety is shared by many others in her WhatsApp group of fellow domestic workers. The loud explosions they hear come from fighter planes, raising concerns that a broader war might be imminent.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, there has been near-daily cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based group. Israel’s response was an invasion of Gaza, aimed at dismantling Hamas. Hezbollah, a political movement and Iran-backed militia, has stated that their attacks are in support of the Palestinian people.
The shelling has primarily affected southern Lebanon and northern Israel, with fears that the conflict could escalate into a wider regional war. In response, the US, UK, Australia, France, and Canada have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
For many domestic workers like Ms. Jerop, leaving is complicated. It is common for employers to retain their passports upon arrival. Even with a passport, an exit visa is required, which must be approved by the employer. This requirement is part of the “kafala” (sponsorship) system used for foreign workers, which affects around 250,000 people in the region.
Under this system, workers’ immigration status is tied to their employers, who can exploit their position, leading to overwork, underpayment, and abuse—though Ms. Jerop has not experienced this herself.
Despite calls for major reforms, the kafala system remains in place across several Arab countries. Daniela Rovina from the International Organization for Migration stated that international law requires individuals to be allowed to leave a country in times of conflict. However, in Ms. Jerop’s case, her employers want her to continue working in Lebanon.
“They are saying the situation has been here in Lebanon for many years, and there is nothing to worry about,” she says. “But for us the tension is high. We are not used to these kinds of [bombing] sounds.”
But even with papers, Ms Jerop and her fellow domestic workers face other challenges to leave.
“Few flights are available and they are very expensive,” she says.
Flights to Kenya cost up to $1,000 (£770).
Banchi Yimer, who founded an organisation supporting the rights of Ethiopian domestic workers, says the average monthly salary used to be $150 but since the cost-of-living crisis, which hit Lebanon hard, “many are not getting paid at all”.
“Every day we receive calls from women panicking… they ask us if we have any [evacuation] plan, if we can do anything about it.”
Chiku, another domestic worker from Kenya, whose name we have changed to protect her safety, cannot pay for the flight.
She has been living in Baabda, in the west of Lebanon, for almost a year.
“I personally would like to go back home. But the tickets are so costly,” she says. “And my mum and dad also can’t afford that money.”
She has been living in fear for the past few weeks, but like Ms. Jerop, her employer has insisted she stay. “They say I can’t leave because I haven’t finished my contract,” Chiku says. “But is this contract more important than my life?”
The Lebanese labor ministry has yet to respond to a BBC request for comment. Kenyan authorities have indicated that they will implement an evacuation plan if war erupts. Roseline Kathure Njogu, who oversees diaspora affairs for the Kenyan government, informed the BBC that the department can issue emergency travel documents for those without passports and arrange emergency flights. “We have about 26,000 Kenyans in Lebanon, and 1,500 have registered with us for evacuation,” she said.
However, many people want to leave immediately. Ethiopian government spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla told the BBC that they are “preparing contingency plans to evacuate diplomats and citizens from Lebanon if necessary.”
Ms. Banchi pointed out that even before the Israel-Gaza conflict, many Ethiopian women were already stranded in Lebanon and desperate to leave. The collapse of Lebanon’s economy in 2020 had left many Ethiopian domestic workers jobless. “Many cannot even afford rent or medical assistance, let alone a flight home,” she says.
While foreign embassies continue to work on evacuation plans, many feel abandoned by their governments and left to fend for themselves. Chiku is trying to save money for a flight home. “But what about those who can’t?” she asks.
