This report builds upon a stocktaking initiative 1 commissioned by UNHCR, UNICEF and ILO in 2016 to inform development of the 2017 publication, Child Labour within the Syrian Refugee Response: A Regional Strategic Framework for Action, henceforth referred to here as the 2017 Framework.

Using key informant interviews, an online survey, and a literature review, the 2020 research sought to measure progress in the past three years toward recommendations in the 2017 Framework. This report provides recommended follow-up actions on the implementation of the 2017 Framework through taking stock of good practices, gaps and challenges, including areas of priority actions per country, to support the mainstreaming of programmatic approaches to prevention, mitigation and reduction of the risk of refugee child labour.

Due to the scale of the refugee crisis in the region, in addition to economic decline, conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, child labour rates continue to increase. Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, the countries that fall under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP, http://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/), continue to face various challenges in implementing effective, quality child protection programmes, with child labour being one of the major gaps.

The most at-risk groups are similar across countries: children with disabilities, street-involved children, and children working in invisible or irregular work that is likely to be controlled by criminal groups, and accompanied by physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Four of the five countries now have national action plans on child labour. Several national assessments have been conducted to understand the nature of the problem; and specific positive changes have been made to child-labour related law and policy in the individual countries.

Many of the factors contributing to child labour risk have worsened in recent years, especially in the light of COVID-19, which exacerbated harmful coping mechanisms. During the pandemic, it is more difficult to identify child labour cases, many schools are closed, and household socio-economic vulnerabilities are on the rise, all of which may result in the potential for increased child labour. According to the interagency Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, children between the ages of 5 and 17 years who are engaged in child labour almost doubled since 2019, reaching 4.4% in 2020.

Some progress has been made in service availability, legislation, and capacity levels in various sectors since 2017. This progress has been uneven, however, with some countries advancing more quickly than those where capacity and infrastructure are more limited.

Stakeholders in all five countries are concerned by the a lack of human resources, and high staff turnover that hinder progress. Many respondents are of the opinion that child labour should be prioritized.

All actors acknowledge that prevention and response to child labour must address family poverty holistically, working across education, livelihoods / economic strengthening, nutrition / food security, and social protection including cash-based assistance. However, such integrated responses are mostly at small scale thus far. Coordination between different child labour stakeholders remains the most important; some stakeholders report that they have established closer linkages between sectors since 2017. While most prevention work happens on the supply side with schools and families, fewer investments are made on the demand side, working with the private sector.

To varying degrees by country, respondents note that the child labour effort suffers from lack of funds, capacity, and will, and that the issue may require further prioritization.

Opportunities, challenges and recommendations are presented for each of the five countries. Overall recommendations include a call to take advantage of existing regional interagency initiatives as platforms for regional advocacy around child labour law and policy, sharing of expertise across borders, and tracking regional child labour trends and program outcomes.

Capacity development and resources are needed among actors in all relevant sectors. Child labour data may need support to harmonize their systems and increase data evidence. Investments are needed to develop the social service workforce in all countries, as well as to build teachers’ protection capacity.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees