Abstract
AbstractLebanon has experienced waves of emigration which has resulted in a substantial diaspora population. Economic difficulties at home and prospects for opportunity abroad, coupled with domestic or international conflict, have been the primary drivers of emigration. Lebanese authorities have established a number of diaspora institutions which have sought to engage with the diaspora primarily in economic terms. Principally, encouraging investment, trade and boosting tourism have been staples of diaspora engagement from the government. As Lebanon continues to move from crisis to crisis, key social protection areas (i.e. unemployment, health care, pensions, etc.) struggle to cover many Lebanese at home and are almost entirely absent for nationals abroad. It is often the economic remittances from the Lebanese diaspora which have provided a layer of social protection for many citizens in Lebanon. Furthermore, 2018 saw Lebanon’s first parliamentary election with the right of the Lebanese diaspora to vote in absentia. This will undoubtedly shift how the Lebanese government and the diaspora will interact and engage with each other in the future.
Highlights
This chapter aims to explain, firstly, the characteristics, infrastructure and key policies relating to the Lebanese diaspora; and secondly, an outline of the key social protection policies will be provided, in the areas of unemployment, health care, pensions, family-related benefits and economic hardship by Lebanese authorities
Repatriation and voting abroad were important in terms of diaspora engagement as Lebanon underwent a national parliamentary election in May of 2018 with Lebanese nationals abroad having the right to vote for the first time in absentia
As Lebanon moves from crisis to crisis due in large part to regional powers vying for influence, along with the country’s delicate confessional balance in parliament, the country struggles to implement meaningful long-term public social protection policies that benefit Lebanese universally
Summary
This chapter aims to explain, firstly, the characteristics, infrastructure and key policies relating to the Lebanese diaspora; and secondly, an outline of the key social protection policies will be provided, in the areas of unemployment, health care, pensions, family-related benefits and economic hardship by Lebanese authorities. The diaspora engagement policies reflect a concerted effort to increase investment, capital, tourism and other economic activities back into Lebanon. Repatriation and voting abroad were important in terms of diaspora engagement as Lebanon underwent a national parliamentary election in May of 2018 with Lebanese nationals abroad having the right to vote for the first time in absentia. The focus of diaspora engagement predominately in economic activities stems from the necessity of economic remittances, boosting tourism from visits to the homeland and creating businesses, trade and investment opportunities (Hourani 2007). Engagement with the diaspora politically will become more active in the future as the importance of the diasporic vote may impact the parliamentary election outcomes, and disrupt the delicate sectarian balance of the political establishment.
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