The presence and complexity of Syrian labor in Lebanon are expanding as the numbers of Syrian refugees integrate into Lebanese society to the extent that they compete with citizens for jobs, professions, and livelihoods. In various Lebanese regions, institutions run by Syrians have emerged rapidly, with these individuals becoming "truly and legitimately" businessmen! Despite the efforts of security forces and municipalities to monitor the violations committed by Syrians and supervise Syrian labor, various breaches occur under a legal cover provided by Lebanese citizens motivated by material greed. They allow the rental of their shops to Syrians for their work and claim to be the employers during inspections, especially in areas such as hairdressing, beauty services, selling fruits and vegetables, food supplies, sewing, and restaurant services, as well as food preparation and other tasks that are typically reserved for Lebanese labor.
Meanwhile, a decision issued by the Ministry of Labor, numbered 1/41, clearly specifies the jobs, professions, and positions reserved exclusively for Lebanese workers, aimed at curbing foreign labor, particularly Syrian workers, in sectors that Lebanese citizens can benefit from, especially in light of high unemployment rates and the increasing emigration of youth. Faced with the significant chaos occurring, two fundamental questions arise: How many Syrian workers does Lebanon need? And in which sectors?
In this context, researcher Mohammed Shams al-Din from the International Information Center indicates that "it is not possible to determine the numbers of Syrian labor needed by Lebanon because it depends on the economic conditions. For example, if Lebanon needed 400,000 Syrian workers in the construction, building maintenance, and facility management sector during prosperous years, currently we are in a recession, so we may not need more than 100,000 workers in this sector." He added in an interview with MTV: "In agriculture, we need around 300,000 Syrian workers, and during peak agricultural seasons, this number can reach up to 600,000. This means that Lebanon's need for Syrian labor in agriculture and construction ranges from a minimum of 400,000 to a maximum of a million Syrian workers during periods of economic prosperity and a housing construction boom, and it is worth noting that Lebanese citizens cannot meet the labor demand in these two mentioned sectors."
There is no doubt that Syrian labor is essential in certain sectors in Lebanon, but organization and oversight are key conditions to mitigate the chaos occurring across the country. The question remains: Will we reach a time when a Lebanese becomes an employee of a Syrian who was, not long ago, a refugee? According to what was reported on MTV's website.
