Confusing statement by Minister of Labor on the unemployment and refugee crises

The Minister of Labor Sajaan Azzi disclosed that the level of unemployment in Lebanon has risen from 11.3% before the Syria war to nearly 25% following the displacement of refugees. Azzi was speaking during the conference held last Monday in Paris entitled and entitled: ‘The Experience of Syrian Displacement to Lebanon and Jordan’ which was organized jointly by the World Bank, the French Agency for Development and the Center for Mediterranean Integration. Quoting World Bank figures, Azzi said the number of laid off Lebanese workers reached some 346 thousand persons as a result of the refugee crisis. He added that “Lebanon did not wait for the world community or for the recommendations of the London Conference of Donors to recruit Syrian nationals,” pointing out to the presence of “over half a million Syrian nationals working in the construction, agriculture, development and environment sectors. These, he said, are welcome as long as they meet the needs of the domestic labor market, but that the priority in employment will always be for Lebanese professionals. In conclusion, Azzi appealed to the United Nations to adopt a new approach in resolving the refugee crisis which transcends experts’ reports and studies to addressing the causes of displacement. He urged them to develop a plan for the return of Syrian refugees to their country. (Al Diyar, February 16, 2016)