Back to Contents Although Amendment 129/2010 exempted Palestinian refugees from the condition of reciprocity, their denial of membership in syndicates deprives them their right to practice any of the unionized professions. 12.7. Denying Palestinian refugee workers their right to benefit from the NSSF 12.8. Law 128/2010 amended Article 9 of the Social Security Law, eliminating the condition of reciprocity. However, the amendment still denies Palestinian refugee workers their right to health benefits and family allowances, especially maternity allowances. Although Palestinian refugee workers in Lebanon who are registered at the NSSF still have to pay the full fees (23.5%) of the salary like Lebanese workers, they can only benefit from end of service indemnity (amounting to 8.5% of the total amount paid). They are forced to use private insurance, adding to the financial burdens of both Palestinian refugee workers and employers. Thus, opportunities for their employment are reduced or they are forced to work in harsh conditions at low wages and outside the protection of the law.” (Source: Najdeh Association, Development Action Without Borders (Naba’a), Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO) et al, “UPR 2020: Palestinian Refugee Rights in Lebanon”, July 2020, pp. 7-8) “The current economic crisis affects the already vulnerable Palestine Refugee community. Employment restrictions have now worsened. Even holding a job within the informal employment sector now requires a permit from the Lebanese authorities. During a 2015 survey, only 6 % of those employed held employment permits. The PRS community in Lebanon are in legal limbo with no formalised legal stay. Having entered the country illegally or being unable to renew their previous permits, many are now trapped inside the UNRWA camps, where entry and exit in most cases is controlled by the Lebanese army. There are extremely limited and poorly paid work opportunities in the camps and the PRS survive on handouts.” (Source: Danish Immigration Service, “Palestinian Refugees Access to registration and UNRWA services, documents, and entry to Jordan” June 2020, p. 56) In the internationally recognised book they published in 2020, legal scholars Dr. Francesca Albanese [currently Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory] and Prof Lex Takkenberg wrote: “Registered Palestine Refugees In terms of employment, several laws and decisions by the Ministry of Labour have restricted opportunities for Palestine refugees over the years, though more recent ones, in 2005 and 2010, have brought some improvement. As of 2005, Palestine refugees are allowed to work in certain jobs that were previously restricted to Lebanese, except liberal professions that are regulated by internal bylaws that restrict non-Lebanese from practicing them. In practice, Palestinian refugees remain barred from practicing thirty-nine professions, among which are all liberal professions such as medicine, law, and engineering, and are excluded from commercial and administrative professions that do not fall in the list identified by the government. With respect to jobs open to them, despite the deductions made from their wages, Palestinian workers have generally enjoyed no social security entitlements. Two new laws of 2010 pertaining to social security and labour enable Palestine refugees to obtain work permits at no cost and earn social security benefits (such as end-of-service and injury-related indemnity) regardless of the reciprocity condition. In practice, the application of the laws is uneven. According to bylaws in force, some (p. 215) professions are still off limits for Palestine refugees, such as general medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, tourist guide, and some others, and where employment is possible, obtaining a work permit still entails a lengthy process with success dependant on the goodwill of the employer. Even when Palestine refugees are not denied their rights de jure, they must still deal with the complexities of the Lebanese system, and Lebanese bureaucracy often appears to discriminate against Palestinians. As a result, most Palestine refugees in Lebanon reportedly work in menial, low-paying jobs in the informal sector and receive lower salaries than Lebanese nationals.” (Source: “Francesca P. Albanese and Lex Takkenberg/Oxford University Press, Palestinian Refugees in International Law”, May 2020, Chapter 3.3.3, Legal Status and Treatment, p. 276) 9. Access to labour market, means of basic subsistence 91