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No Freedom, No Future: Undocumented Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon by Cynthia Petrigh

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No Freedom, No Future: Undocumented Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon by Cynthia Petrigh FMR 26 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT 1 No freedom, no future: undocumented Palestinian refugees in Lebanon by Cynthia Petrigh With support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian marriages, graduate from high school Aid Department (ECHO), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) or enrol in either public or private higher education. They find if difficult is working to give a human face to the under-reported, to access UNRWA services and unrepresented and marginalised group of Palestinians cannot afford to pay for healthcare living in Lebanon without any form of identity. in a country with an expensive and largely privatised medical system. Since DRC established an office in however, brought new difficulties Lebanon in August 2004 we have for undocumented refugees as The greatest burden they carry is the identified around 3,000 individual Lebanese army checkpoints have fact their children do not have any non-ID refugees living in informal limited their ability to move legal existence. Three decades after refugee camps in the south and the in search of employment. their arrival most non-ID refugees Beq’a valley. Unlike 1948 refugees, have got married – either to a most are not settled in camps with In addition to the difficulties registered Palestinian refugee or, in support from networks of kin encountered by all Palestinian some instances, to a Lebanese citizen. and neighbours but have arrived refugees in Lebanon [see article by Under Lebanese law, the children of individually or in small groups. Many Sherif Elsayed-Ali on 12-14] non-ID non-ID refugees, even when born in have complex experience of multiple refugees face further restrictions. Lebanon, and even if their mother is displacements. a registered refugee or Some were already a Lebanese citizen, are Young registered as 1948 not legally recognised undocumented refugees refugees with and hence do not studying. This UNRWA in Gaza, the possess any personal photograph West Bank, Jordan documentation was taken by or Syria but were attesting to their non-ID refugees as part of the exiled a second time. existence. A whole empowerment Some were expelled generation of and advocacy from the West Bank undocumented persons activities run or Gaza by the is now coming of age by DRC. Israeli occupation with no prospect of authorities. participation in social Others are former and economic life. Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Assisting the combatants forced undocumented to leave Jordan in refugees 1970 following the ‘Black September’ In March 2005, confrontation DRC began legal with the Jordanian counselling, advocacy government. Israel’s and assistance expulsion of the activities to support PLO from Lebanon the undocumented in 1982 left ex- refugees. We have fighters without any interviewed more official protection. than 150 families and After the end of the compiled dossiers Lebanese war in which we have 1990 most militias submitted to relevant were dismantled and the government They are unable to move outside local and international authorities gradually regained control of the camps for fear of being arrested. They – including UNRWA, UNHCR, country. This positive outcome has, cannot travel, own property, register the Palestinian Authority and the 16 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT FMR 26 governments of Lebanon, Egypt, cases as other stakeholders have The issue remains sensitive but there Jordan and Syria. Each case is indicated they cannot move forward seems to be a growing willingness to unique and requires an individual without the approval of Lebanon. acknowledge the need to improve the approach towards a solution. humanitarian situation of Palestinians We are also advocating for renewal in Lebanon. DRC has supported One option we have proposed is the of expired third-country passports cases to obtain stay and work permits transfer of UNRWA files if the refugee as many non-ID Palestinians once for non-ID refugees who hold has been registered with UNRWA held passports, mainly Jordanian foreign passports and who have met in another field of operation. DRC or Egyptian. The government of other criteria set by the Lebanese has been advocating for the files Egypt has been cooperative and has authorities during an amnesty period of such refugees to be transferred accepted to renew passports when for illegal aliens. Seven families have to Lebanon in order to have them we could prove a former link. Jordan now obtained such documents. officially present in the country has turned down all of our requests. and to give their family a legal DRC additionally supports the status. Unfortunately the Lebanese DRC has met with various Lebanese issuance of stay permits to spouses authorities have not been supportive. stakeholders and agencies to see if and children of Lebanese female We have been unable to take up test cases could be solved in Lebanon. citizens, who can only reside in Lebanon on the condition that they do not hold any occupation. DRC Inam, a Lebanese woman, is married Hassan was born in 1967 in Wahdat has started lawsuits in partnership to Mahmoud, a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan and, like the rest of with a Lebanese law firm in order who fled Gaza in 1967 when it was his family, is an UNRWA-registered to establish the identity of some of occupied by Israel and who registered 1948 refugee. His family arrived the non-ID refugees. These include with the Egyptian authorities. In the in Lebanon in 1970 as a result of underage undocumented children mid 1970s Mahmoud travelled to Black September. His father, a PLO recognised by a registered father and Syria legally and then continued combatant, died in 1973 and Hassan children of a widow whose husband without proper documentation to lived in an orphanage until he was was undocumented. Finally, DRC Lebanon. Inam and Mahmoud’s 15. In 1982, he was arrested by the supports the efforts of a national lives are blighted by his continued Lebanese authorities and deported coalition for the right of Lebanese non-ID status. Their children cannot to Jordan where he was tortured and women who are married to a graduate from school and the family forced to remain to complete military foreigner to extend their citizenship is not entitled to access UNRWA service. Fearing further persecution, to their children. If this change were services. Their eldest child Fadia, he fled Jordan and on arrival in made, about 15% of the non-ID 12, is very ill and without access to Syria applied to UNHCR for refugee refugees’ cases could be solved. healthcare the family is struggling to status. His claim was rejected due to survive. Inam recently paid $300 to his status as an UNRWA-registered Some claimants may have a well- process registration papers for her refugee. On return to Lebanon, he founded fear of persecution and children to a man purporting to be was re-arrested by the Lebanese could be in need of international from the Ministry of Interior. Inam authorities for lacking documentation. protection. In cases where a legal has not seen the man again and After again contacting UNHCR in solution cannot be found in Lebanon, her children remain unregistered. Damascus he was arrested by Syrian DRC has approached UNHCR. Through DRC intervention, the family intelligence services in Lebanon has now obtained new Egyptian who then contacted the Jordanian The work for the undocumented passports and recently received a authorities. The Jordanians revoked refugees in Lebanon remains difficult. stay and work permit in Lebanon. his Jordanian nationality and It demands patience, perseverance invalidated his passport. Fearing and preparedness to accept many Nada, born in Lebanon in 1958, imprisonment in Syria, Hassan rebuffs and enjoy few successes. was registered with her parents as a travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan where We have explored various avenues 1948 Palestinian refugee. In 1979, he survived by selling his blood. towards solutions. It is important she married Murad, a Palestinian that NGOs and UN agencies should refugee registered with UNWRA In 1999 he travelled clandestinely continue their efforts to act as Jordan. Although Nada and Murad through Syria back to Lebanon. Both intermediaries between refugees are both registered refugees, their UNHCR and UNRWA said they were and the Lebanese authorities and documents, like those of many other unable to offer him any assistance. seek to solve individual cases. A families who have moved residence, He now lives in Beirut, in constant comprehensive solution, however, have been mislaid by bureaucratic fear of re-imprisonment and with requires regional dialogue between error. Nada, Murad and their nine little hope for a future. DRC has the Lebanese, Egyptian, Jordanian, children now live as non-ID refugees provided Hassan with legal aid to Palestinian and Syrian authorities. in a one-room house in southern attempt to secure identity papers Lebanon. DRC has provided legal to permit travel and residency. Cynthia Petrigh is Programme aid to try to secure identity papers Manager for the Danish Refugee and is providing vocational training Council in Lebanon. Email: for the couple’s older children. [email protected] For further information, see www. drc.dk/Lebanon.1740.0.html .
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