Will Lebanon’s economic crunch stir demographic change?
The emigration of Lebanese, especially Christians, raises concerns in Lebanon in terms of the demographic change that it may lead to, in light of the economic crisis that the Lebanese have been experiencing for nearly two years.
BEIRUT — Recently, the number of Lebanese who are emigrating, especially Christians, has soared, amid the exacerbation of an unmatched economic crisis hitting the country. Some fear this brain drain will inevitably lead to a demographic change and cause a new distribution of the sectarian map in the country.
Father Tony Khadra, head of the Labora Foundation that aims to provide job opportunities for young people, especially Christians, told Al-Monitor, “The number of Lebanese emigrants has witnessed an upward trend for two years now. The percentage of Christian emigrants has exceeded 60% in the last two years.”
Jad Hawat, a young Lebanese Christian man who emigrated to Iraq a year ago and is still there, told Al-Monitor, “I graduated in 2019 as a mathematics teacher. I spent a year searching for a job, to no avail. I decided to leave and I got a job at a school in Iraq.”
He said, “Despite all of Iraq's security and political crises, the crisis in Lebanon is much worse. I came here to build a future for myself, hoping that the crisis back home will end one day. I think about returning to Lebanon at the earliest in five years. This is because I live in a neighboring Arab country, but I doubt those who left for Europe and the United States will ever come back. They will live in stability and economic growth.”
