Familiar Strangers: The Dom of Lebanon
On the fringes of Lebanese society is the Dom community whose origins go back to India from where they originally migrated to the Middle East. They now reside in countries including Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Despite having been granted Lebanese citizenship in 1994, they suffer from extreme poverty and social marginalisation with a third surviving on less than a dollar a day with little access to health, education, formal employment and adequate housing. Having led a nomadic life until the mid/late 20th century, they are now largely sedentary. Yet the Dom from Syria are on the move again, this time not to practice their crafts and trades, but to flee from a ruthless conflict with no end in sight.