Description of the integration initiative implemented
In 2017 when the last employer left Greece for another EU country, she moved from live-in to live-out domestic work. After years she managed to work as a live-out domestic worker and therefore did not have any personal commitment to employers as she chooses them now.

Personal story
Interviewee 9 came to Greece alone, via direct hire as a contracted live-in domestic worker. She was hired by an employer with whom she stayed for ten years until 2007. She usually works long hours as there is no set schedule: as long as the employer is awake, she must stay awake. Once she met her employer in person and introduced each other, she was brought directly to the employer’s residence. The first is feeling she had was an emotional burden that made her burst into tears. On the contrary, despite the difficulties in performing the domestic tasks, the demands of the employers, the low wages and their entrapment in the occupation of the domestic worker, without labour rights, national health insurance and social security contributions and claims, when she met kind employers who appreciate that she works hard for herself and to improve her lives, it gives her courage to face this whole situation. She was leaving the residence only for a few hours, for daily (Monday-Friday) external tasks (e.g., grocery shopping, walking a dog) but mostly when she had a day-off, usually from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night to be with friends. During that day, she stayed in a boarding house which she shared with other individuals in order to have privacy and change environment, to have a good time and rest, and because she did not want to spend money paying for a separate residence in which she would only spend a few hours. She returned to the employer’s residence on Sunday night or Monday very early in the morning. During the day-off, she discusses, celebrates together, goes to church, or reads the Bible with other Filipinas. Until 2016 she worked for another employer, generally, for six days with a day-off on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. The working hours are not specific but usually range from 8 to 16 per day. Her payment as a live-in domestic worker was 900 euros a month. Regarding national health insurance and social security contributions, she is self-insured. She explained that generally, employers are usually polite to her, but there are many cases of repressive or restrictive behaviour towards her. For example, she was not allowed to go out or meet others, the employer kept her passport, and there were delays in her monthly payments. Her tasks (were to clean only the employer’s house (clean the furniture, floors, rooms, vacuuming, washing the dishes and clothes, cooking, ironing and clean the windows), buy a newspaper for the employer, go to the supermarket, tidy up the kitchen. Occasionally she did not cook. If there were a pet (usually a dog), she would have to take care of it (feeding and walking). She strived to stay many years with the same employers to build trust with them. Regarding the behaviour of the employers, she had problems with the children in one residence who were hitting her and making a mess on purpose. In another case, when an item of the employer’s wife was not found, she was blamed, and they shouted at her and experienced gesticulations and physical or verbal abuse. When the item was found in a place that the employer had placed, she tried to leave the event behind. In 2017 when the last employer left Greece for another EU country, she moved from live-in to live-out domestic work. As a live-out domestic worker cleaning of different residences. Her responsibilities are limited to main chores, cleaning and ironing, for 5 hours for 3-4 employers receiving 700 euros a month. For her, participation and membership in religious associations are more important than their participation in a community association of Philippine migrants. She believes that a community association cannot solve work or individual problems. She mainly seeks advice on her documents, work issues and healthcare matters from friends or a lawyer. She sends most of her payments to her family. She communicates with her family with video calls and social media every day.

Analysis of the initiative and individual story
The migratory initiative of Interviewee 9 is related to the progress after years in the country. There were attempts made to seek better income to support her family with remittances. Moving to live-out domestic work, she was enabled to avoid any further dependencies from employers.

Results and Impact
She reiterated that she had no other choice, as she had to support herself and her family in the Philippines. The situation was aggravated by the authoritarian, demanding and unpleasant behaviour of employers towards her, with shouting, gesticulations and physical or verbal abuse, and the withholding of their documents. As a result, she was often overwhelmed by fear, insecurity, missed her homeland, and sometimes, she could not leave the employer who mistreats her.