The Socio-Economic Dynamics of Syrian Refugees' Employment in Lebanon: Impact of Legal Residency and Documentation

Abstract

This thesis investigates how legal residency and identity documentation affect the labor‐ market integration of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Drawing on the 2021 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) survey and employing logistic and OLS regression models, it examines the probability of employment, wage levels, and household income as functions of legal status, document portfolios, and demographic characteristics. Results demonstrate that holding a valid residency permit raises employment odds by over 20 percent and that refugees with multiple forms of documentation, including national IDs and passports, enjoy significantly higher wages and household incomes. However, benefits are unevenly distributed, with male and urban refugees capturing greater gains than female and rural populations, underscoring the need for gender-responsive and spatially differentiated policies. These findings inform four policy recommendations: sector-tied residency frameworks; mobile legal aid and registration units; urban-rural employment diversification; and a skills-matching platform that balances the economic advantages of formalizing low-skilled refugee labor with safeguards for Lebanese workers. By illuminating the pivotal role of legal and administrative barriers, this work offers empirically grounded guidance to develop more organized and beneficial refugee integration strategies.