Employability of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: The Role of Legal Residency

The onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011 has led people to flow to neighboring countries seeking protection. Syrian refugees have become a topic of interest for many researchers where studies have highlighted their vulnerability in their host countries, including finding a job. There have been papers addressing the factors influencing Syrian refugees’ employability, but very few have specifically focused on the role of legal residence and legal documentation. In this research, our main objective is to examine the correlation between Syrian refugees’ legal residency and their labor force participation in Lebanon. We use the Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) dataset and run a Probit model. The main finding of our empirical analysis is that Syrian refugees with legal residency are more likely to be employed in Lebanon. After dividing by educational levels, the results suggest that legal residency is positively associated with a higher probability of finding work among those with a school education or university education as the highest educational attainment. This paper also includes identity documentation factors (identification document (ID), national passport, family booklet) and some demographic factors (gender, marital status, education, age). Finally, the paper provides some policy recommendations regarding this issue.