Syrian academics in Lebanon face permit delay

BEIRUT: Syrian academics at the American University of Beirut are facing severe delays in processing their work permits, a month after the Labor Ministry announced measures to curb foreign hires in key professions. Syrian academics at the institution, who requested anonymity because negotiations over their cases were ongoing, said they had been told by the human resources department at AUB that requests to renew their work permits – once a routine procedure – had gone unanswered from the ministry for weeks. Some expressed concern that their current permits would soon expire.

There are believed to be six Syrian academics affected. However, Professor Sari Hanafi, a member of the AUB Faculty Association, said that as far back as September, the university has faced unique challenges in renewing the permits of certain foreign nationals, specifically Syrians, Ethiopians and Palestinians.

Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi has been working to limit certain professions solely to Lebanese, dodging accusations that his ministry’s policies were discriminatory by citing fierce competition over jobs in light of the deluge of Syrian nationals to the country. Azzi issued a decision Dec. 16 confining 62 professions to Lebanese hires, including education.

The Labor Ministry could not be reached to comment on the case of Syrian academics specifically.

AUB administration, which is responsible for processing work permits, is in touch with the Labor Ministry and still negotiating the matter. The Faculty Association, which includes 300 members, is also utilizing channels to express specific grievances to Azzi directly, the body’s head Jad Chaaban said. As of Thursday evening, no such contact had been established, he added.

The association will likely issue a statement next week to articulate an official stance over the issue, but it appears affected parties are still waiting to see how negotiations between AUB administration and the ministry will pan out in the coming days.

Asked what might be causing the delay, Chaaban said that it could be linked to the decree prioritizing the employment of Lebanese and requiring employers to justify the hiring of foreigners. “We are bound by deadlines because most people who work at AUB have obligations to fulfill and if their work permit expires they will be here illegally and risk being jailed or deported,” he said.

“Aside from the personal suffering, we are concerned this will disrupt operations at the university.”

AUB has a long history of employing foreigners in a competitive merit-based process. Chaaban argued that the majority of the AUB’s faculty are in fact Lebanese, and foreign faculty academics provide a scholastic value. Most, for instance, bring with them foreign funding to spend in Lebanese research institutions.

“If the minister applies a specific rule, it should take into account that foreign faculty members add to the learning environment, and it is crucial that not only for human resources purposes but mostly for research and cross cultural exchange purposes that [AUB] and other universities remain at the forefront of hiring multicultural faculty,” he said.