The rights of Lebanese expatriates and their political engagement with the homeland

Abstract

Attention to diasporas has traditionally come from their transnational role as providers of developmental aid while neglecting the political and civil rights of expatriates and their potential as governance actors. In an era of global mobility, there is an uncomfortable research gap in the relationship between diasporas and their states. The implications can only be appreciated with the lens of Lebanese scholar Paul Tabar's 'diaspora-specific field' (2019). Through the analysis of Lebanese diasporic relations during the Lebanese October Revolution 2019, we evaluate the importance of emigration policies and inclusion of the diaspora in decision-making processes in the homeland to build sustainable diaspora-state relations, reduce inequalities between resident and non-resident citizens and build peace, justice and strong institutions as urged by SDGs 10 and 16. We provide real evidence of the struggles and political engagement the diaspora during the Thawra (revolution) with a sample of expatriates based in Catalonia and the political agenda of Meghterbin Mejtemiin, the network bringing Lebanese expatriates together to support the revolution from abroad, and that of Associació Catalunya-Líban. We demonstrate through Lebanon's case that diasporas can be a nation-state building partner and help to recapture state sovereignty from the hands of private interests' groups.