ABOUT CARITAS LEBANON MIGRANT CENTER Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC) is the pre- eminent service provider to refugees and migrants in Lebanon. Established in 1994, it has grown from a modest team of four persons into an organization with ten field offices, three community centers, five shelters and safe houses, and 24 hour presence in the Retention Center for Foreigners and is staffed by a team of over 260 professionals, all with specialized expertise in serving these beneficiaries. CLMC every year serves approximately 5,000 migrant workers and 5,400 Iraqi refugees. It regularly carries out research and needs assessments related to migration and refugee issues in Lebanon, trains other organizations in the Middle East, and contributes to regional advocacy efforts. CLMC has a high degree of name brand recognition throughout the country, as seen by the unparalleled cooperation with the Lebanese Authorities as numerous working relationships with local hospitals, municipalities, volunteer organizations, and religious institutions throughout Lebanon. Its website can be accessed at www.caritasmigrant.org.lb Funding provided by the United States Government Disclaimer: «This publication was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.» 1 CARITAS LEBANON MIGRANT CENTER WWW.CARITASMIGRANT.ORG.LB ACKNOWLEDGEMNTS Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center and the research team are grateful to the following persons, without whose support this study could not have been conducted: • The Iraqi refugees themselves who offered their time, stories, and honest responses to our questions. • Me. Joyce Geha for offering legal information and analysis. • Maureen Mafouz for offering insights and analysis into the psychosocial conditions in which Iraqi refugees live. • The team of social workers and data collectors who tirelessly helped to identify cases and administer surveys. • Rana Rahal for logistical support, in organizing the survey administration by coordinating with all CLMC field offices. • Rita Zaccour for data entry, in ensuring the accuracy of large amounts of data under a tight deadline. • Nelson Garteh and Mohammed al Khalidy of UNHCR for assistance with data and statistics. • The key informants who generously offered their time and insights to help us in analyzing this data. • All photos are credit of Jean Khoury, Farah Matteen, and Christopher J. Varady. Introduction Letter from the Caritas Lebanon President Dear Friends, In late August, I accompanied the official Delegation of Oriental Patriarchs presided by the Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Raï (President of The Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon – A.P.E.C.L.), to Northern Iraq. There we saw the unspeakable tragedy occurring there. In those difficult times, the Patriarch’s visit was an important expression that the Church feels the suffering of these people, the needs they have and has come to answer their call materially by bringing assistance, and spiritually by encouraging them to hold on to their faith more steadfastly than ever. After such a momentous visit, I remained deeply moved by the stories of Iraqi Christians we met there and I return to Lebanon more motivated than ever to call upon the international community to answer their pleas for urgent assistance. It is also necessary to call for international solidarity on both political and humanitarian levels. The tragedy experienced by these Iraqi Christians has been called a modern day Via Crucis, that they have experienced the worst of suffering as a new aspect of genocide. Many have walked in extreme heat to escape persecution for more than 70 kilometers, most are sheltering anywhere they can, even on church pews and in roadside tents. We remain appalled and saddened by their suffering. The international community cannot permit in the 21st Century people to be persecuted for who they are. As the modern-day descendants of some of the oldest churches in Christianity, we are compelled to rush to their aid. We live our own faith through concrete actions and solidarity with those who have sought safety and refuge with us. We still have hope and are determined to remain on our own land, the land of our ancestors. Best Regards to all, Fr. Paul Karam President of Caritas Lebanon 3 CARITAS LEBANON MIGRANT CENTER WWW.CARITASMIGRANT.ORG.LB LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ATM Automated Teller Machine BPRM Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a Bureau within the United States Department of State) CL Caritas Lebanon CLMC Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center CRS Catholic Relief Services GOI Government of Iraq ICMC International Catholic Migration Commission IDP Internally displaced person(s) IOM International Organization for Migration IPV Intimate Partner Violence IRAP Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project IRD International Relief and Development (www.ird.org) IRIN A service of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ISIS Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (also known as ISIL, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) LGBTQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Governmental Organization OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs PHC Primary Health Care Center PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder SGBV Sexual and Gender-Based Violence SOA Special Operations Appeal SPHERE The SPHERE Project (www.sphereproject.org) STATA-12 Data analysis and statistical software UN United Nations UNHCR UN High Commission for Refugees UNRWA UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East US United States USD United States Dollar USG United States Government USRAP United States Refugee Admission Program Currency Rates The Lebanese Pound is effectively traded by merchants at a fixed rate of 1500LBP to $1USD. The bank rate differs slightly but this practically only affects official exchanges and international transfers. TaBLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................2 Introduction Letter from the Caritas Lebanon President ......................................................................3 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................4 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................6 Letter from the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center Director ....................................................................8 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................9 Introduction: Purpose and Goals of the Study .......................................................................................10 Chapter 1: Background Understanding of Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon ..............................................11 Chronology of the Iraqi Refugee Crisis .......................................................................................................................13 Special Concern: Christian Refugees from Iraq ....................................................................................................23 Legal Framework in Lebanon ...........................................................................................................................................26 Effects and Living Conditions of Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon ........................................................................29 Response by the International Community ............................................................................................................30 Particular Nature of the Iraqi Refugee Crisis ............................................................................................................32 Chapter 2: Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center’s Response to the Iraqi Crisis .......................................35 About CLMC’s Services and Methodologies ...........................................................................................................37 Social Work Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................38 Standards and Coordination .............................................................................................................................................38 About CLMC ................................................................................................................................................................................39 Chapter 3: Methodology .............................................................................................................................41 Chapter 4: Findings ......................................................................................................................................45 Demographic and Personal Information of the Iraqi Refugee Population ..........................................45 An Insight into Refugees’ Lives in Iraq ........................................................................................................................51 Economic Livelihoods and Coping Mechanisms in Lebanon ......................................................................57