Syrians, Lebanese job competition adds to tensions

Bloomberg

Along busy Hamra street in west Beirut, Syrians fleeing their country's civil war have opened up scores of shops that compete with older ones run by Lebanese already hurting because of a sharp drop in tourism.

Many Lebanese businesses compensate by hiring Syrians who will work for very little salary, and Lebanese workers grumble that their bosses can now ignore their demands.

The competition is aggravating social tensions arising from the massive influx of Syrian refugees across the border. A tiny country with a weak central government, Lebanon has been paralyzed by disputes and sectarian divisions from the raging war next door.

Source: Bloomberg FULL STORY