A “Severe Bleeding” for the Lebanese brains and competencies
It may seem that all the losses that Lebanon has incurred for nearly two years as a result of the explosion of all crises in the face of its children at once are compensable. All losses can be compensated at least in the medium term, if not in the short term if the country is put on the path to a solution in the coming years. But the severe bleeding in competencies and brains will leave resounding repercussions in Lebanese society; this threatens Lebanon with a bleak future.
The new wave of immigration that the country has been witnessing since 2019, which started with the collapse of the banking sector and the seizure of depositors’ money, was, until mid-2020, understandable and expected. But with the explosion of the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, which led to the destruction of half of the capital Beirut and claimed more than 200 victims and thousands of wounded, this wave turned into a sweeping “tsunami”. As soon as it calmed down, it came back to renew with the recent arrival to the crash stage, where the Lebanese are missing all the necessities of life such as bread, water, petrol, gas, baby milk, and medicine.
The Lebanese suffering left the people of this country with no choice but to flee. After scrutiny, it became clear that the largest numbers of “fugitives” are from the elite; any of the talents and brains that no longer find in Lebanon a fertile ground for their ambitions and dreams.
The brain drain mainly affects the medical sector, with hundreds of doctors, nurses, and specialist nurses emigrating in the past two years. All unions agree that they do not have any specific number of immigrants from their ranks, and rely mainly on estimates and weights.
“Systematic theft” for the distinguished people
Perhaps the most dangerous of all of the above is the attempt to hunt down the distinguished in all sectors. This was evident with the tendency of more than one institution to persuade doctors, nurses to leave the country, and to present offers that they find attractive as a result of the sharp collapse in the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar.
“Systematic theft of outstanding students and distinguished professors” by “universities and scientific centers abroad with which Lebanese have been cooperating for years, and they are aware of our data as a result of this cooperation.”
Unfortunately, the offers that were offered to these people years ago, and they rejected them, are no longer available, and they are making offers to them that are exaggerated amounts to half of what was previously offered… that is, they are stealing the Lebanese brains and competencies for cheap.”
