Building Inclusive Societies: Addressing Racial Discrimination in MENA for Sustainable Growth

The World Bank's report highlights pervasive racial discrimination in the MENA region, particularly against migrants and refugees, leading to significant socioeconomic disparities. It calls for tailored, intersectional approaches to address these challenges and promote inclusion and equity across the region.

A recent report by the World Bank developed in collaboration with the Middle East and North Africa Vice-Presidency, the Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice, and the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, addresses the critical issue of racism and discrimination in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The study underscores how discrimination and exclusion of marginalized groups have far-reaching consequences, impeding innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development while fueling social fragility and conflict. Despite the increasing recognition of these issues, the region suffers from a significant lack of comprehensive quantitative data on the prevalence and impact of racial discrimination. This gap hinders a deeper understanding and the formulation of effective policies to address these challenges.

Survey Reveals Widespread Discrimination Against Migrants and Refugees

To bridge this gap, the World Bank launched an internet-based survey in 2022 across seven MENA countries Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia encompassing over 16,000 respondents. The survey was designed to capture personal experiences of discrimination, focusing on racial identity, socioeconomic status, and subjective wellbeing. Additionally, the study incorporated qualitative interviews to supplement the survey data, providing a more nuanced perspective on the discrimination experienced by various racial and racialized groups, including citizens, migrants, and refugees. The findings reveal a disturbing pattern: migrants and refugees experience significantly higher levels of interpersonal discrimination compared to citizens. This discrimination is most commonly manifested through racial slurs and chronic discriminatory behavior. Such discrimination often leads to worse outcomes for these groups, particularly in terms of employment, education, housing, and overall quality of life. The study found that over three-quarters of migrant respondents and two-thirds of refugee respondents had been victims of racial slurs, with 60-70% experiencing chronic interpersonal discrimination. In contrast, only 30-40% of citizen respondents reported similar experiences.

Complex and Context-Specific Discrimination in MENA

The report emphasizes that racial discrimination in the MENA region is multifaceted and context-specific. Discrimination occurs based on various factors, including race, ethnicity, skin color, and migration status. These factors often intersect with others, such as gender, age, and legal status, to exacerbate inequalities. For instance, the study highlights that young, Black/Afro-origin migrants and refugees are among the most discriminated groups in the region. These individuals face multiple disadvantages, with discrimination rates as high as 80-90%. In contrast, older citizens experience the lowest rates of discrimination. The study also found that migrants and refugees who were female, older, non-Black/Afro-origin, or from higher-income households still experienced more discrimination than citizens. This suggests that migrant and refugee status often trumps other demographic characteristics in determining the prevalence of discrimination.

Intersectional Approach Highlights Need for Tailored Solutions

The report also underscores the need for an intersectional approach to understanding and addressing discrimination in the MENA region. By examining how race intersects with other identity factors, such as gender and income, the study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complexities of discrimination. The intersectional approach revealed that socioeconomic status, gender, and age intersect with racial/racialized identity to either exacerbate or mitigate unequal outcomes and vulnerabilities. For example, while previous studies on MENA have tended to focus on gender as the primary factor of discrimination, this study emphasizes the importance of considering racial/racialized identity alongside other factors.

A Call to Action: Promoting Equity and Inclusion

The findings highlight the urgent need for context-specific, tailored solutions to combat racism and discrimination in the region. The report calls for improved data collection, policy dialogue, and operational engagement to promote social inclusion and improve the quality of life for all population groups, particularly the most vulnerable. It also emphasizes the importance of amplifying the voices of affected populations and fostering their meaningful participation in the design and implementation of programs and policies. This participatory approach is seen as crucial for ensuring that policies are not only effective but also perceived as fair and credible by all members of society.

The World Bank’s report serves as a crucial entry point for engaging with MENA countries on issues of racism and discrimination. It offers a set of recommendations for policy and programmatic interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of discrimination and exclusion. The report aligns with the World Bank Group’s commitment to promoting equity and inclusion as essential components of sustainable development in the MENA region. It stresses the importance of addressing the linkages between discrimination and fragility, conflict, and violence more systematically to enhance resilience and recovery in the region. The study also recognizes the need for more attention to the specific challenges faced by migrants and refugees, who are often the most vulnerable to discrimination. By focusing on these issues, the report contributes to the broader goal of creating more inclusive and resilient societies in the MENA region, where all population groups can fully participate in political, economic, and social life.