Indians in Lebanon
Encyclopedia
There is a community of Indians in Lebanon consisting mainly of laborers and expatriates from India
. There are about 12,000 Indians in Lebanon
. The Indian migrants work in various sectors of Lebanese economy such as construction, manufacturing and the service sector. Most of the migrants who came to Lebanon earlier were either illiterates or dropouts at school whereas among the recent migrants, a substantial number is found graduates. Irrespective of their educational level, the bulk of migrants were engaged in unskilled, semi-skilled and menial jobs. By and large, migrants from India were predominantly of rural origin, mostly young, less educated, unskilled with almost half of them being unmarried. Those who are illegal migrants have been smuggled into the country through human trafficking networks along with other South Asians, and are forced into menial job and living conditions.
In 2006, the Indian population in Lebanon declined due to the Israel-Hezbollah War. About a total of 1,384 Indians left the country along with other migrant workers from Sri Lanka
and Nepal
. The evacuees were first brought by Indian naval ships from the Lebanese capital of Beirut
to Larnaca
in Cyprus
and then flown to India, under an Indian military-coordinated exercise dubbed as "Operation Sukoon
."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. There are about 12,000 Indians in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The Indian migrants work in various sectors of Lebanese economy such as construction, manufacturing and the service sector. Most of the migrants who came to Lebanon earlier were either illiterates or dropouts at school whereas among the recent migrants, a substantial number is found graduates. Irrespective of their educational level, the bulk of migrants were engaged in unskilled, semi-skilled and menial jobs. By and large, migrants from India were predominantly of rural origin, mostly young, less educated, unskilled with almost half of them being unmarried. Those who are illegal migrants have been smuggled into the country through human trafficking networks along with other South Asians, and are forced into menial job and living conditions.
In 2006, the Indian population in Lebanon declined due to the Israel-Hezbollah War. About a total of 1,384 Indians left the country along with other migrant workers from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The evacuees were first brought by Indian naval ships from the Lebanese capital of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
to Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and then flown to India, under an Indian military-coordinated exercise dubbed as "Operation Sukoon
Operation Sukoon
Operation Sukoon was an operation launched by the Indian Navy to evacuate Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War.....
."