Access to work and the pursuit of dignified lives in protracted displacement: a case study of the EU-Lebanon compact

Abstract

As displacement becomes increasingly protracted, humanitarian assistance alone is no longer sufficient to address the needs of refugees, making the pursuit of durable, long-term solutions a central policy challenge. With over 41 million people in need of international protection and conflicts lasting longer than ever before, protracted displacement has become a defining feature of the contemporary refugee context. This dissertation argues that access to work constitutes the most critical condition for enabling refugees to build dignified, self-reliant lives. However, this access is contingent upon enabling factors such as legal residence and education, which remain structurally constrained in many host countries. To explore these dynamics, the dissertation examines the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the 2016 EU-Lebanon Compact. While the Compact aimed to promote resilience and expand economic opportunities for both refugees and host communities, its implementation has been limited, and significant gaps remain between policy ambitions and refugees’ lived realities. Through an analysis centred on refugees’ perceived needs and barriers, the study demonstrates how restrictive legal frameworks and labour market limitations undermine the potential for self-reliance and long-term integration. Building on these findings, the dissertation critiques existing state-centric approaches to durable solutions and policy coherence for migration and development. It proposes an alternative framework centred on policy coherence for refugee needs, which places refugees’ lived experiences, rights, and aspirations at the core of policy design. The study concludes that achieving meaningful resilience and self-sufficiency requires a fundamental reorientation of policy frameworks, including a revision of the EU-Lebanon Compact, to better align with the structural conditions necessary for refugees to access work and build dignified futures.