A Wave of Emigration: Why Everyone is Leaving Lebanon

Mere decades ago, Lebanon was considered one of the most popular touristic destinations in the Middle East. Beirut, the bustling capital, was its crowning jewel, as it was once known as “the Paris of the Middle East.“ However, much has changed since Lebanon’s golden years, as an era of negligence and corruption by the Lebanese government has culminated in its current state of perpetual chaos and an exodus of unprecedented scales.

Following an economic collapse and the Beirut explosion in 2020, the country has experienced crisis after crisis. Blackouts, fuel shortages, and street violence have either become the norm for those who stay, or the motivation for those who leave.

A recent report published by the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut (AUB) would suggest that for most bi-nationals, the latter is the case. According to this report, “for months, Lebanon has witnessed a noticeable rise in the rates of emigration and those seeking it, which makes us enter the beginning of a mass exodus wave.” This is the third such wave in Lebanese history, with the first occurring in the early 20th century when approximately 330,000 people emigrated from Mount Lebanon during World War I. The second was marked by the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), when nearly one million people fled the country to avoid the conflict.

While this third wave is still ongoing, the AUB report calculates that Lebanon’s net migration rate has increased by 47 percent since 2019. Therefore, in the past two years, the number of people leaving Lebanon has nearly doubled.

There are four major indicators that illustrate the crisis Lebanon is experiencing during this wave of mass migration. Firstly, a survey conducted by the university revealed that an astounding 77 percent of Lebanese youth plan to emigrate- the highest percentage among all Arab nations. While the country’s volatile living conditions surely contribute to the desire to leave, this high percentage can also be attributed to simple necessity. Unemployment rates in Lebanon are at an all-time low, having exceeded 30 percent. The World Bank estimates that 20 percent of Lebanese workers have lost their jobs since the autumn of 2019 and that 61 percent of Lebanese companies have permanently cut down their staff numbers by half. There are simply no job opportunities for those who wish to stay.

The second indicator is that there has been a tremendous exodus of highly educated professionals, specifically health and education sectors. Doctors, nurses, university professors and school teachers, as well as designers and entrepreneurs, are seeking work in neighbouring countries. This is primarily due to rampant inflation, unemployment, and fiscal crises. Since 2020, the Lebanese economy has experienced drastic inflation of about 90 percent. The Lira’s devaluation has reduced the minimum wage from $450 a month to $30, meanwhile food prices have risen such that families are forced to spend the equivalent of five times the minimum wage on basic necessities alone. The currency collapse has also created a banking crisis, blocking customers from accessing their savings in US dollars. Thus, workers are being motivated to leave by the promise of higher wages and a stable environment.

The third indicator is that the majority of Lebanese believe the country’s current condition will be prolonged. Political turmoil, economic fluctuations and social insecurities represent a

series of interconnected crises that are embedded in the history of the country, and will not be so easily unravelled. The World Bank recently predicted that Lebanon will require between 12 and 19 years to restore its economic condition to that of 2017. Thus, there is a lack of faith in the short-term future of the nation.

Lastly, advanced countries are financially supporting Lebanese emigration, as they can benefit from young professionals who can fill the positions of retiring seniors. Lebanese immigrants tend to come from strong academic backgrounds and are recognized as successful in their respective fields, allowing them to settle permanently in the countries that allow them to pursue their professions.In many cases, the emigration process relies on second nationalities that were acquired by family members who left Lebanon during the past emigration waves and later returned. Such individuals have the option to travel freely, but those who do not possess previous ancestral citizenship have resorted to non-traditional methods to obtain it such as Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes.

CBI is a method of immigration by which the immigrant/ investor contributes a designated sum of money to a country’s economy in exchange for that country’s passport, ultimately paying for foreign citizenship. Micha Emmett, the CEO of a citizenship solution advisory in London, recently commented on the increasing number of Lebanese citizens who have been inquiring about the CBI process. Emmet insists that “CBI is often the best and fastest resort for those who face uncertainly in their home country and want a way to secure their wealth and their family’s Future.”

However, costly investments are not a viable option for everyone. The CBI requires a degree of financial stability, and this poses a significant issue for many of those who currently remain in Lebanon. UNESCO estimates that 55 percent of Lebanon’s population is now under the poverty line, with most of them struggling to acquire the bare necessities, and relying solely on local charities and NGOs for their survival. Thus for the majority, it is not a question of how to leave Lebanon - but how to stay alive in Lebanon.