Back to Contents […]Over 28,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are in particularly vulnerable situations, as a considerable number of them are unable to regularize their status in Lebanon and hence the vast majority of them – 92 per cent – heavily rely on cash assistance provided by UNRWA as the main source of income. As for many other humanitarian assistance programs, however, this cash assistance program of $100 per family per month is donor-dependent and due to be withdrawn at the end of 2021, leaving the beneficiary families with very little alternative sources of income.” (Source: OHCHR, “Statement by Professor Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, on his visit to Lebanon, 1-12 November 2021”, 12 November 2021, p. 1) UN Women wrote in its sectoral examination of feminist and women’s right issues in Lebanon in July 2021 that: “Palestinian, Syrian, and other refugee populations, as well as migrant domestic workers and stateless persons living in Lebanon, are all effectively excluded from the Lebanese labour law entirely. Even though the vast majority of Palestinians residents were born in Lebanon, they are still considered foreigners and are required to obtain a work permit prior to employment in specific jobs, which is a lengthy administrative process. PRLs are prevented from obtaining employment in at least 39 professions (such as medicine, law, engineering, etc.) (UNRWA 2015). Changes to Lebanese law in 2005 and 2010 have, in principle, improved the rights of Palestinians in Lebanon (PRLs) to access formal employment and strengthened related social protection mechanisms, giving them partial access to the National Social Security Fund. However, significant gaps remain. Within this difficult legal context for Palestinian refugees where there are limited prospects for jobs, Palestinian women are even less likely to work. (Source: UN Women, “European Union Sector Specific Gender Analysis: An in-depth sectoral examination of feminist and women’s rights issues in Lebanon”, July 2021, p. 28) One of the reasons for the prevalent absence of work permits among PRS workers is the inability to obtain legal status or comply with legal requirements. “Reflecting the informal status of the vast majority of male and female PRS workers (especially amongst the 43.3 per cent employment in seasonal/irregular jobs), their work is commonly based on an oral agreement - 97 per cent of the male workers and 89.6 per cent of female workers do not enter into a written employment contract. Furthermore, very few PRS workers (1.4 per cent) have a work permit. These are workers who are married to PRL or Lebanese nationals or PRS males with a Lebanese mother. More than half of the respondents (51.9 per cent) said that the absence of work permits was due to the inability to comply with the legal requirements for work permits (such as obtaining a valid residence permit). At the same time, one quarter stated that they did not see any benefit in holding a work permit as they worked in a sector (cleaning, construction and agriculture) where casual labor is tolerated.” (Source: UNRWA, “Socio-economic Survey on Palestine Refugees from Syria Living in Lebanon”, 28 April 2021, p. 46) It was noted in the National Report submitted as part of the Universal Periodic Review in 2020 that: “196. The Ministry of Labour issued memorandum No. 1/7, dated 22 January 2013, to exempt Palestinian workers registered with the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities from provisions relating to insurance policies and medical examinations, when applying for a work permit. For its part, Decree No. 1/29, dated 15 February 2018 and defining the professions reserved for Lebanese, is not applicable to Palestinians who were born in Lebanon and are officially registered with the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities. The needs of the labour market have opened the way for non-Lebanese – and, in particular, Palestine refugees – to work in areas reserved for Lebanese, such as nursing. On 5 August 2019 the Minister of Labour issued resolution 93/1 on the documentation necessary for Palestinians – both employees and employers – to obtain a work permit.” (Source: OHCHR, “Universal Periodic Review - Lebanon: National Report, 12 November 2020”) In an effort to learn more about the lives of Palestinians in Lebanon, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) conducted a qualitative WhatsApp survey. According to the results: 9. Access to labour market, means of basic subsistence 88