This project examines policies on refugee self-reliance through the everyday realities of Syrian refugee children working as waste pickers in Beirut. It responds to the growing emphasis on self-reliance within the Global Compact on Refugees – a framework that encourages refugees to meet their own needs and reduce dependence on aid – while questioning how such policies unfold in contexts of urban poverty and informality.

In Lebanon, where refugees are largely barred from formal employment and protection, many turn to informal work to sustain their livelihoods. Across Beirut’s recycling economy, refugee children and youth play a central role. While their work can contribute to the urban economy and environment, it takes place within an informal sector involving multiple actors – including work intermediaries and scrap traders. Within this chain, however, children are the most vulnerable link. The nature of their work exposes them to multiple risks, including arbitrary detention, exploitation, hazardous conditions, and deep social stigma.

Using participatory methods with refugee children, the study engages policymakers, NGOs, and municipal actors to develop context-specific policy recommendations aimed at improving the work conditions of child waste pickers. It explores how local policy and work-based educational initiatives can enhance both their protection and economic autonomy. The project’s dissemination strategy combines written and visual outputs – including a policy brief, academic article, and a short documentary – to bring the voices of refugee waste pickers into public and policy dialogues.

Through this work, the study sheds light on a marginalised population and putting forward interventions that support forms of self-reliance rooted in their lived realities rather than externally imposed models. In doing so, it bridges the gap between policy discourse and everyday experience, reframing self-reliance as a locally grounded process.

• Team Members: Cyrine Saab and Hilde Refstie