Lebanon Struggles with Brain Drain Crisis 🌍: Skilled Workers Flee Amid Economic Collapse, Threatening Recovery Efforts
Deep Dive with Lynn 💬
In this article Lynn discusses the post conflict region of Lebanon. She is a student journalist with us on a placement organised by the Department of War Studies, King's College, London. This article was edited by Cassia Jefferson from Oxford University as well using Lex.page.
🎧 listen to Lynn’s backstory here - she discusses her motivation & research as well.
Post-Conflict Struggle: Brain Drain’s Toll on Lebanon’s Rebuilding Efforts
Lebanon, once known as the “Switzerland of the Middle East” for its economy and cultural significance, has been hindered by prolonged political instability and conflict. The country faced challenges rebuilding after the 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. One major challenge is retaining a skilled workforce, with many forced to work abroad due to instability. Despite this, Lebanese people show resilience, leaving family and friends for a better future. Brain drain reemerges as the country faces a greater economic crisis, with a new exodus of its educated citizens.
Most of the population is denied basic public services and forced to deal with daily power cuts, shortages, and hyperinflation, leaving many Lebanese with minimal confidence about the future. Five years after the economic crisis began, minimal efforts have been made to restore the system. The World Bank highlights the “precipitous decline” of the Lebanese economy, hindering post-conflict recovery due to the loss of skilled workers.
Understanding Lebanese Brain Drain
Brain drain is the migration of skilled and highly educated individuals (Docquier et al., 2007). Their departure not only deprives the nation of skills and expertise but also hampers innovation and productivity, stripping Lebanon of the people needed for recovery. According to Information International, a Beirut-based research firm, the number of Lebanese leaving the country increased by 346%, rising from 17,721 in 2020 to 79,134 in 2021 (Moussa 2022). Additionally, Annahar reported that an additional 42,200 Lebanese have left the country since the beginning of 2022. Push factors precipitate brain drain outside Lebanon, including political instability and shortage of economic opportunity, driving professionals, academics, and youth out of the country.
The brain drain heavily impacts the healthcare sector, causing a lack of services due to the departure of doctors and healthcare professionals. Many young doctors prefer training abroad, leaving those who stay over-stressed and underpaid. The drop in currency value drives specialized physicians away, worsening healthcare quality and endangering the population’s safety and wellness.
The nation's education system struggles to retain qualified teachers and staff due to underfunding, which lowers the education quality. The worsening economic situation led to the migration of faculty members, further deteriorating the system. The extreme depreciation caused teachers' salaries to lose over 98% of their value, making it hard to meet basic needs. This, along with an outdated curriculum, motivates teachers to leave, creating a shortage of new recruits. Those who remain take on multiple jobs, leading to higher absenteeism, and unstable resources resulted in the disappearance of the education standard. Some private schools provide better wages for teachers through dollarizing tuition fees; however, this only benefits high-end schools, not the majority. Restrictions on the education system hinder the nation's ability to rebuild after conflict, as education empowers individuals with the necessary skills for the workforce and stimulates growth and investments.
Impact on Post-conflict Recovery
Brain drain has various consequences on Lebanon’s recovery. It depletes the state’s human capital, slowing economic growth and recovery as skilled workers such as doctors and teachers leave for better opportunities abroad. The loss of professionals in critical sectors hinders delivering essential services and undermines long-term development goals. This initiates a vicious loop where the lack of talent worsens the economic situation, fueling more emigration.
Brain drain has significant implications on social cohesion. As skilled professionals move abroad, communities lacking essential services may exacerbate social division and inequalities, widening the social gap. Faced with political inaction, become distrustful of the system and hopeless for the country's future. This makes it difficult to address post-conflict recovery challenges, as rebuilding trust in civilians and institutions is vital for progress.
To address these issues, it's crucial to incentivize skilled individuals to stay in Lebanon. This can be done by improving working conditions, fostering professional growth, and a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to contribute to the country's development. These methods could mitigate brain drain and enable a prosperous future.
Resilience and The Potential of the Lebanese Diaspora
Despite the challenges, the Lebanese community remains resilient in avoiding succumbing to distress. Communities collaborate through organizations and initiatives to offer crucial help to those lacking social necessities. NGOs like Ajialouna, established in 1995, provide aid and support in healthcare, education, and social stability. Ajialouna offers scholarship programs for gifted students in need of financial support and establishes medical clinics with modern equipment for senior citizens and orphans. These organizations bridge gaps in healthcare and education, providing a greater sense of security. These initiatives can help retain people in Lebanon, potentially limiting brain drain.
The Lebanese diaspora supports their home country by sending an average of $6.5 billion annually in remittances, which is crucial for basic needs like food, healthcare, and housing (UNDP Report 2022). They also engage in local charities, food distribution, and long-term development by encouraging investments and bringing expertise gained abroad back to their homeland.
Conclusion
To conclude, Lebanon’s recovery faces challenges, including brain drain. Understanding its implications on nation rebuilding post-conflict and mitigating the effects is vital. The Lebanese community can engage with the diaspora and domestic talents to tackle obstacles like lack of essential services and social cohesion for a better future. Civil society and the international community to address the systemic issues driving skilled individuals away and create a productive environment for Lebanon’s redevelopment.
Bibliography
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Docquier, Frédéric, Olivier Lohest, and Abdeslam Marfouk. “Brain Drain in Developing Countries.” The World Bank Economic Review 21, no. 2 (2007): 193–218. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40282242?seq=2.
Haddad, Yara , Diana Matar, Nouha Abardazzou, Malek Ben Abdallah, and Bashir Choucair. “Wave after Wave: The Lebanese Brain Drain,Yrh03.” sites.aub.edu.lb, November 29, 2022. https://sites.aub.edu.lb/datavisualization/2022/11/29/wave-after-wave-the-lebanese-brain-drain/.
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Moussa, Lynn Sheikh. “Emigration from Lebanon Jumps by 446 Percent in One Year.” Beirut Today, February 10, 2022. https://beirut-today.com/2022/02/10/emigration-from-lebanon-jumps-by-446-percent-in-one-year/.
Perry, Tom. “Lebanon’s Turmoil Fuels Brain Drain.” Reuters, July 21, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN24M1H8/.
Saleh, Heba. “Lebanon Faces Exodus of Its Most Educated Citizens.” Financial Times, March 7, 2022. https://www.ft.com/content/44633cbe-77e7-4c3f-a8b2-cce88b0af331.
Serhal, Celine, and Leila Sawaya. “Building Resilience in a Protracted Crisis: Transforming Challenges into Opportunites for the Youth of Lebanon 2 Disclaimer” August 2023. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-09/building_resilience_in_a_protracted_crisis-_youth_report.pdf.
World Bank. “Lebanon: Normalization of Crisis Is No Road to Stabilization,” May 16, 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/05/16/lebanon-normalization-of-crisis-is-no-road-to-stabilization#:~:text=BEIRUT%2C%20May%2016%2C%202023%20%E2%80%93.
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