Back to Contents In an article published in Arab News in December 2021, opposition to the decree was reported. “Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, said: ‘The decision violates the labor law and the constitution. It is veiled naturalization and it is rejected.’ In a tweet, he called on labor syndicates to reject the decree and urged the Lebanese public to ignore it. ‘This is unacceptable and we will not allow the stealing of jobs from Lebanese in such circumstances,’ he said. Former labor minister Sejaan Kazzi said that Bayram’s decision ‘contradicts the decision issued in 2015,’ adding: ‘This new resolution will increase the Lebanese people’s unemployment rate by 40 percent and open the door to settlement and naturalization.’” (Source: Arab News, “Anger in Lebanon as Palestinian refugees granted work rights”, 10 December 2021) 9.4. What are the obstacles Palestinians face when trying to enter the labour market? The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated in April 2022 that: Based on the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) conducted by the REACH Initiative in December 2021, OCHA reported in 2022 that: “Like migrants, Palestine Refugees in Lebanon are also vulnerable, repeatedly marginalized and outside of social protection schemes. Even before the crises, PRL had limited access to livelihoods due to restrictions on their right to work in several professions, and frequent discrimination within the workplace; and despite their long-standing presence in Lebanon, they are unable to own or inherit property. Many are dependent on daily/seasonal labour, but the significant deterioration in their living conditions is affecting their physical and mental wellbeing, contributing to tensions which have sometimes escalated into violence in camps and increasing the protection risks faced by women, children and older persons. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon without official identity documents and residency in Lebanon (“non-ID Palestinians”) are even more restricted in their livelihood options as they are often unable to move around freely and are even more vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace. Palestine refugee camps, which are often over-crowded with poor infrastructure are de facto under the governance of Palestinian authorities, which can lead to limited access to official justice systems, particularly for vulnerable groups.” (Source: OCHA, “Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022”, 14 April 2022, p. 11) According to the same source: “Lack of employment and reduced income lead to deteriorating food security and nutritional status of PRL [Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon] households. Similar to Lebanese households, daily/intermittent work was reported by PRL households as their main source of income (50 per cent), followed by community support (21 per cent) and savings (17 per cent). On average, most reported earning between 1 million LBP and less than 2.4 million LBP (between US$49 and US$96 at average exchange rate in December 2021 of $1=LBP25,000). Contracted employment was an income source for only 13 per cent of the households assessed compared to 28 per cent among Lebanese and 61 per cent among migrant households. Increased competition for jobs or not enough jobs was reported to be the major obstacle preventing unemployed family members from finding work, followed by lack of qualification, distance to jobs and employers’ preference for other nationalities. Comparably, 63 per cent of PRL households reported challenges in affording basic needs as a result of loss or reduced employment in the 3 months prior to data collection. To cope, almost half of PRL households reported that they have taken on debt to meet basic needs – among these households 18 per cent reported that food was the primary reason for taking on debt.” (Source: OCHA, “Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022”, 14 April 2022, p. 26) 9. Access to labour market, means of basic subsistence 96