Protection monitoring - child labour report - Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Danish Refugee Council
Highlights
Through its protection monitoring program in 2015, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Lebanon, monitored child protection concerns in North Lebanon and the Bekaa. Chief among these concerns has been child labour. As a direct result of the financial difficulties faced by their families, a significant proportion of Syrian refugee children in households monitored by DRC have been involved in child labour, exposing them to a number of risks, including physical harm, sexual abuse, long working hours, school non-attendance, and exploitation.
This report presents child labour as part of a larger problem faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Between limited economic opportunities and reduced humanitarian aid, many Syrian households in the country are finding themselves forced to send their children to work in order to meet basic needs. Some children have become the primary breadwinners for their families, especially in cases where men are unable to access work opportunities due to fear of arrest arising from their lack of residency in Lebanon. Syrian children are facing mounting challenges and pressure. Syrian refugee households monitored by DRC report shrinking options for survival and have a bleak outlook for future for their children. The immediate need for survival has reportedly superseded all others given the increasingly challenging living environment for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
