Left Alone and Abandoned: The Stories of Nawal, Amneh, and Fatima

Nawal, Amneh, and Fatima—three women whose husbands all fled to America, leaving them behind. For these women, marriage to these men initially seemed a gain, as the lure of moving to America was irresistible. Nawal married a man who had recently come from America when she was 32 years old. He came seeking a wife—and she was chosen. They lived together for only one month before he returned to the U.S. About that month, Nawal recalls: “At first, we rented a house because he was supposed to prepare our papers and arrange for us to travel. But during that month, strange things happened. I started hearing stories about his scams and troubles. He was even imprisoned and released on bail. When he left, I was pregnant.” Later, he was arrested in America for attempting to enter illegally and sentenced to four years in prison. Since 2005, Nawal has lost all contact with him. His father sent her $200 during his absence, but other than that, her only support came from the Maintenance Fund and social services. Amneh lived with her husband—the one who fled to America—only for three months when she was 28. After a year and a half of marriage, he returned to his first wife before leaving the country for America, without informing Amneh. He left behind a daughter, now eight years old, who does not even know what her father looks like. Amneh was kicked out of the house by her husband’s children from his first marriage, who abandoned her and their brother. Today, she lives in her father’s two-room home: one room for her father and his wife, and the other for Amneh, her daughter, and her brother. She supports herself and her child through assistance from the Maintenance Fund, while her family’s financial situation remains very difficult. Fatima’s story, 35 years old from a Jerusalem refugee camp, is similar to others, with some differences. Her engagement and marriage happened in less than a month: a financially capable man, with an apartment almost ready, and holding American citizenship. They agreed she would stay at his family home for a month or two until her paperwork and travel plans were arranged. However, the period stretched, and she soon discovered his reluctance to have her join him. With the help of specialists and family friends, she finally managed to travel and reunite with him. Fatima’s stay was short-lived. Her father-in-law came for medical treatment, planning to stay one or two months but ended up staying two years. This forced Fatima and her husband to return with their two children after he was persuaded to start a business in his homeland. However, he stayed only three months before leaving, and later she learned he canceled her citizenship application to prevent her return. “After staying at his family’s house, I left following an incident where his mother physically assaulted me,” Fatima recalls. When she informed her husband and said it was unsafe to stay at her family’s house due to construction and the child’s safety, he told her to leave the child with his family and stay with hers. When she refused, he changed his phone number, cutting off contact. Fatima stayed in her father’s home for three years before finally obtaining a divorce in 2011. The Palestinian Maintenance Fund, to which Fatima applied for child support and abandonment assistance, was a crucial aid for meeting her needs and those of her children amid her husband’s evasion of financial responsibility.