As the Qatar World Cup approaches, Lebanon’s labor ministry is utilizing this opportunity with the launch of a new platform for jobs open to Lebanese citizens. As Beirut faces an employment decline, as reported by Doha News, this platform will allow Qatari employers to search for potential employees based on their required job vacancies. Mostafa Bayram, the minister of labor, emphasized that this was not “immigration” but rather bilateral coordination. In light of the forthcoming World Cup, we deduced from this declaration that Lebanese individuals will have the opportunity to find employment and work in Qatar as Qatar seeks temporary staff to cope with the demands of hosting officials and players taking part in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Some individuals felt that this announcement creates an issue, political activist Edmond Chammas expressed his frustration on Twitter, stating, “is it not the job and responsibility of the Minister of Labor to secure job opportunities for the Lebanese people inside of Lebanon?”
That was not it as others claimed that the Ministry of Labor was not doing its job to its fullest and that “shipping the Lebanese abroad” is not the best idea.
Others claim that this announcement came at the right time because Lebanon’s unemployment rate reached 29.6% at the beginning of the year, AFP reported. In response to that, large populations have been leaving the country to seek better opportunities abroad. The National News reported that more than 80 percent of the country’s population has been pushed into poverty, while the value of the local currency decreased to only a fraction of what it was once worth. L’Orient Today revealed that salaries paid in Lebanese pounds have not kept up with the inflation, severely devaluing the purchasing power of the ordinary Lebanese Lira.
