Abstract
The Republic of Lebanon has witnessed a notable escalation in the emigration of young adults, particularly subsequent to the October Revolution of 2019. This period was marked by state dysfunction, currency devaluation, the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut, and heightened levels of human and political insecurity.
These adverse conditions, compounded by the forces of globalization, exert a discernible influence on the demographic landscape of the nation. Notably, there exists a dearth of empirical investigations examining the repercussions of such migration on the well-being of the older dependents who remain in the country. This oversight is exacerbated by the prevailing tendency within academic literature to overlook the study of migration's impact on the countries of origin.
To address this lacuna, our pilot study undertakes a quantitative survey encompassing 142 households, each comprising at least one elderly individual aged 60 or above, distributed across nine districts in Lebanon. Conducted between February and May 2022, the survey employs a combination of convenient and snowball sampling methods.
The primary objective of the study is to scrutinize the influence of adult children's migration on the self-reported physical, emotional, and social well-being of their elderly parents. Furthermore, the research investigates the role of remittances and transnational family ties in mitigating the overall conditions experienced by the elderly individuals left behind.
The findings illuminate that the outmigration of adult children significantly impacts the overall physical health of their aging parents. While remittances positively contribute to the purchasing power of the elderly for their daily necessities, the study underscores that such financial support cannot entirely substitute for the absence of adult children.
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