Six decades of exile and suffering
Housing
"Our generation, where are we going to live? There is no place in the camp and we cannot own property outside." Qassem Muhammad Hammadi, aged 21, from Burj el-Barajneh camp near Beirut, where around 15,000 refugees live Most Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have had little choice but to live in overcrowded and deteriorating camps and informal "gatherings" – unofficial camps that lack basic infrastructure. The land allocated to official refugee camps has barely changed since 1948, despite a fourfold increase in the number of registered refugees. Residents have been banned from bringing building materials into some camps, preventing the repair, expansion or improvement of homes, although recently there has been some relaxation of the ban. Those who defy the law face fines and imprisonment as well as demolition of new structures. The addition of rooms or floors to existing buildings in some camps has meant that the alleyways have become even narrower, the majority of homes receive no direct sunlight and, despite the best efforts of the inhabitants, the pervasive smell of sewage is at times overwhelming. A resident of Burj el-Barajneh camp told Amnesty International:
Work
"Even if we get an education, we are not allowed to get a [good] job." A 27-year-old woman in El-Maachouk settlement near Tyre Restrictions in the labour market mean high levels of unemployment, low wages and poor working conditions for Palestinians. Until recently, more than 70 professions were barred to Palestinians – around 20 still are, including law, medicine and engineering. This and other discriminatory treatment compounds the poverty and isolation of Palestinians in Lebanon. In Lebanon, Lebanese nationals enjoy preferential treatment over non-Lebanese nationals in terms of access to employment, as is the pattern for nationals in most countries. This differentiation in Lebanon extends to non-nationals who were born or have lived most or all of their life in the country, most notably Palestinian refugees. It can be difficult and expensive for a Palestinian to obtain a work permit, and even when permits are issued, they must be renewed annually. The complicated permit requirements mean that employers rarely seek them for Palestinian refugees or other non-nationals. Companies tend to employ Palestinians in low paid jobs that do not require a work permit, such as construction work or cleaning. Sometimes, Palestinians are employed in jobs that officially require a work permit although they do not have one, in which case they do not enjoy the benefits and protection of a contract and are usually paid less than their Lebanese counterparts. Even when Palestinians obtain work permits, they still do not qualify to receive benefits from the social security system to which they are required to contribute by paying taxes. In addition, Palestinians and non-nationals are not allowed to join professional associations, a requirement for working in those professions. Sa’id from Burj el-Barajneh told Amnesty International:
Medical treatment is expensive in Lebanon and only partially covered by UNRWA for registered Palestinian refugees and not at all for others. Secondary health care is rarely subsidized at all. A shortage of health workers, health facilities and equipment in the camps and gatherings where Palestinians live compounds the poor health care available in practice to refugees. Palestinians also suffer as a result of poor education services available to them and the lack of job prospects even if they manage to receive a good education. As a result, many leave school at a young age to work as rag pickers (sorting through rubbish) or other work that leaves them open to exploitation and abuse. Lebanese law specifies that only Lebanese children have a right to free primary education. This violates international law that Lebanon has promised to respect, law that obliges states to provide free and compulsory primary education without discrimination on the basis of children’s status as refugees or asylum-seekers, any other legal status, or the status of their parents or guardians. Urgent action needed Amnesty International recognizes the efforts made by the Lebanese authorities to accommodate hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees for decades. It also recognizes that the responsibility for the suffering of Palestinian refugees goes beyond Lebanon, which is rooted in the Palestinian exodus of 1948 and the denial of their right to return. Many Palestinian refugees in Lebanon retain the hope that one day they will be able to return to their homes in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. However, until that time, Lebanon must respect, protect and fulfil the rights of Palestinian refugees within its jurisdiction. To this end, the Lebanese authorities should:
Write to:
Parliament His Excellency Nabih Mostafa Berri Speaker of the National Assembly Parliament of Lebanon Nejmeh Square Beirut Lebanon Fax: +961 1 893088 867627 e-mail: info@lp.gov.lb WEB: www.lp.gov.lb Salutation:Your Excellency Council of Ministers His Excellency Fouad Siniora Prime Minister Office of the Prime Minister Grand Sérail Rue des Arts et Métiers Sanayeh BeirutLebanon Fax: +961 1 785014 869630 746085 e-mail: rhoffice@cyberia.net.lb Salutation: Your Excellency President His Excellency President Emile Lahoud Office of the President Baabda Palace Baabda Beirut Lebanon Fax: +961 1 425391 425395 Salutation: Your Excellency Who is Amnesty International? Amnesty International is a global movement of 2.2 million people in more than 150 countries and territories, who campaign for human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. We research, campaign, advocate and mobilize to end all abuses of human rights – civil, political, social, cultural and economic. From freedom of expression and association to physical and mental integrity, from protection from discrimination to the right to shelter – these rights are indivisible. Amnesty International is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. Our work is largely financed by contributions from our membership and donations. More information on Lebanon and Palestinian refugees can be obtained at www.amnesty.orgAmnesty International, International Secretariat, Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, United Kingdom AI Index: MDE 18/006/2007 October 2007 ******** Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, WC1X 0DW, London, United Kingdom
The state of the world's human rights
Read the full report online
