How one woman is rescuing migrant workers trapped in Lebanon’s abusive kafala system

Lebanon’s kafala system traps migrant workers in abuse and exploitation — one woman is risking everything to change that

Migrant domestic workers from Sierra Leone shelter in South Beirut during the Israeli bombardment of the city last November. Picture: Dea Hage-Chahine

Dea Hage-Chahine’s Beiruti friends call her the “Human Trafficker.” Rest easy, it’s not what you think. 

The moniker is an ironic one, humorously used in text-groups when she is too busy to meet up or respond.