4/2014 ENG Stateless Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon Country of Origin Information for Use in the Asylum Determination Process Report from Danish Immigration Service’s fact finding mission to Beirut, Lebanon 25 May to 6 June 2014 Copenhagen, October 2014 Danish Immigration Service Ryesgade 53 2100 Copenhagen Ø Phone: 00 45 35 36 66 00 Web: www.newtodenmark.dk E-mail: [email protected] Overview of Danish fact finding reports published in 2013 and 2014 Update on security and human rights issues in South‐ and Central Somalia, including Mogadishu, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia, 17 to 28 October 2012 2013: 1 Iran ‐ On Conversion to Christianity, Issues concerning Kurds and Post‐2009 Election Protestors as well as Legal Issues and Exit Procedures, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service, the Norwegian LANDINFO and Danish Refugee Council’s fact‐finding mission to Tehran, Iran, Ankara, Turkey and London, United Kingdom, 9 November to 20 November 2012 and 8 January to 9 January 2013 2013: 2 Somalia ‐ Security and protection in Mogadishu and South‐Central Somalia Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia 6 April to 7 May 2013. 2013:3 Iranian Kurds; On Conditions for Iranian Kurdish Parties in Iran and KRI, Activities in the Kurdish Area of Iran, Conditions in Border Area and Situation of Returnees from KRI to Iran, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and Danish Refugee Council’s fact finding mission to Erbil and Sulaimania, KRI, 30 May to 9 June 2013 2013: 4 Uganda ‐ Situation of LGBT persons in Uganda. Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Danish Refugee Council’s fact finding mission to Kampala, Uganda from 16 to 25 June 2013. 2014:1 Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central Somalia, Including information on the judiciary, issuance of documents, money transfers, marriage procedures and medical treatment, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia, 1 to 15 November 2013 2014:2 Update on the Situation for Christian Converts in Iran, report from the Danish Immigration Service’s fact‐finding mission to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey and London, United Kingdom 25 March to 2 April 2014 and 10 April to 11 April 2014 2014:3 1 CONTENTS Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction and methodology ................................................................................................................. 5 1. Palestinian Refugees from Lebanon ............................................................................................ 7 1.1. Availability of Protection ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.1.1. Protection from Lebanese authorities for Palestinians living outside of the refugee camps ......... 7 1.1.1.1. Conflicts with militant groups ................................................................................................ 10 1.1.1.1.1. Cooperation between the Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah ..................................... 12 1.1.1.2. Conflicts of a private law character, including cases related to domestic violence and honour ............................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.1.2. Protection from Lebanese authorities for Palestinians living inside refugee camps .................... 14 1.1.3. Protection inside the refugee camps ............................................................................................ 16 1.1.3.1. Popular Committees ............................................................................................................... 18 1.1.3.2. Conflicts with militant groups ................................................................................................ 21 1.1.3.3. Conflicts of private law character, including cases related to domestic violence and honour ............................................................................................................................................................. 23 1.2. Individuals inside refugee camps wanted by the authorities ............................................................... 25 1.3. Possibility to relocate to other refugee camps .................................................................................... 26 1.4. Access to basic rights and services ....................................................................................................... 28 1.4.1. Access to education ....................................................................................................................... 30 1.4.2. Access to health care services ....................................................................................................... 31 1.4.3. Access to the labour market .......................................................................................................... 32 1.4.3.1. Legal framework for accessing the formal labour market ..................................................... 34 1.4.3.2. Palestinian women and employment ..................................................................................... 37 1.4.3.3. Effects of influx of Syrian refugees on access to employment ............................................... 37 1.4.4. Access to housing and property rights .......................................................................................... 38 1.5. Registration of PRL in Lebanon ............................................................................................................. 40 1.5.1. Deregistration of PRL ..................................................................................................................... 40 1.5.2. Birth registration ........................................................................................................................... 41 1.5.3. Issuance of identification cards ..................................................................................................... 41 1.5.4. Possibility for PRL residing abroad to re‐enter Lebanon ............................................................... 41 2 2. Palestinian Refugees from Syria in Lebanon ............................................................... 43 2.1. Entry and legal status of Palestinian Refugees from Syria (PRS) .......................................................... 43 2.1.1. Entry .............................................................................................................................................. 43 2.1.2. Legal status .................................................................................................................................... 49 2.1.3. Impacts of lack of legal status ....................................................................................................... 53 2.1.4. Risk of deportation to Syria ........................................................................................................... 55 2.1.5. Possibility of family reunification between PRS and PRL .............................................................. 57 2.2. Access to basic rights and services for Palestinian Refugees from Syria .............................................. 58 2.2.1. Access to education ....................................................................................................................... 60 2.2.2. Access to health care services ....................................................................................................... 62 2.2.3. Access to the labour market .......................................................................................................... 63 2.2.4. Access to housing .......................................................................................................................... 64 3. Recruitment by Hezbollah ........................................................................................................... 67 3.1. Prevalence of forced recruitment ........................................................................................................ 67 3.2. Hezbollah recruitment process ............................................................................................................ 70 Organizations, authorities and persons consulted ................................................................................... 72 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 75 Appendix A: Terms of Reference ............................................................................................................. 77 Appendix B: Map of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon ..................................................................... 79 3 Abbreviations AUB American University of Beirut CEP The Committee for Employment of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon CLDH Lebanese Centre for Human Rights (Centre Libanais des Droits Humains) CYC Children and Youth Centre DPAR The Department of Political Affairs