Domestic migrant workers in the Middle East continue to face confinement and abuse.

Laura Secorun

The Kuwaiti beauty blogger Sondos Alqattan recently unleashed a storm of criticism after saying that Filipino domestic workers in the Persian Gulf region should not have the right to take a day off or hold on to their own passports. Activists the world over were quick to condemn her remarks, and prominent cosmetic companies have stopped working with her.

But her views are far from extraordinary. From Lebanon to Saudi Arabia, many employers view domestic workers, the vast majority of whom are women, as servants who do not deserve the freedom to leave the houseor even the right to rest.

A recent report from the International Labor Organization says that “while many employer-domestic worker relationships are positive” in the Middle East, “continuing and credible allegations of abuse and fraudulent behavior continue to plague the sector.” Human Rights Watch has documented hundreds of incidents of mistreatment.