The Unequal World of African Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East: The Paradoxical Role of Technology

This qualitative study examines the paradoxical role of technology in the experiences of African migrant domestic workers in the Middle East. Drawing on research with returnee African domestic workers in Nigeria and Ghana, it examines how technology can simultaneously enable exploitation and support identity, communication and assistance.

The study finds a paradoxical role for technology. Digital tools can facilitate the commodification and control of migrant labour while also helping workers maintain identities, relationships and access forms of support.