The Lebanese government has announced it will allow Palestinian refugees who were born in Lebanon to legally work in manual and clerical jobs in the country.
Lebanon’s outgoing Labor Minister Tarrad Hamadeh said that Palestinians born on Lebanese land and registered officially with the Lebanese Interior Ministry will be allowed to work in jobs previously unavailable to them.
Unlike Palestinian refugees in other Arab countries, Lebanon has not encouraged Palestinian refugees to be an integral part of Lebanese society, fearing their permanent settlement in Lebanon will upset the delicate sectarian balance there.
However, despite the announcement, Palestinians will still not be able to seek professional employment and they will be restricted to manual and clerical work.
There are about 400,000 Palestinian refugees registered in Lebanon, living mostly in 12 camps with temporary housing. Around 90 percent of them were born in Lebanon and will be eligible to work.
Lebanon’s change in policy comes two months after Syria withdrew from Lebanon, ending a 29-year presence in the country. Thousands of Syrian migrant workers also departed Lebanon in the withdrawal, creating a need for more workers.
The Palestinian Authority leadership welcomed the new decision and said it demonstrates the “spirit of responsibility and brotherly relations between the Palestinian and Lebanese nations.”
Suhail A-Natour, director of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine told AFP that this is an important step in achieving the rights of the Palestinians but that the decision should be extended to include professionals as well.