The Human Rights of Palestinians in Lebanon
Palestinians situation in Lebanon:
Demographic facts:
According to the UNRWA, the registered number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is 422,188 which make 10\% of Lebanons population.
It is estimated though that only 300,000 of them are still in Lebanon.
Of those who are living in Lebanon 6,000 refugees have no identification cards or legal papers.
Of those who are living in Lebanon 35,000 are registered in the Lebanese authorities records but not at UNRWA.
222,776 refugees live in 12 camps out of 16; including Naher Al Bared destroyed Camp.
Around 59,000 refugees live in 39 different gathering situated in various locations and towns in Lebanon.
The largest percentage of refugee population is concentrated in the south of Lebanon (Tyre and Saida).
Legal Facts:
Palestinian Refugees have a unique legal status that sets them apart from other refugees around the world. This different and unique status is set in international, regional, local law texts which do not comply with the unified standards set by the UN human rights chart and universal values.
In 1949, UNRWA was established by the UN. However in 1951, when the UN treaty concerning refugees was approved it did not include Palestinian Refugees.
Actually, the status of UNRWA as services provider prevents it from being an organ capable of helping in the claim for basic human rights set by UN declaration of Human Rights.
In Lebanon, Palestinians are considered stateless foreigners. However, some legal restrictions could be loosened at times.
The Lebanese law deals with Palestinians according to the principle of mutual common treatment (which means that same laws concerning certain things should applied in both countries) therefore it deprives Palestinians from having their rights under the pretext that they are stateless.
The Violated Rights

1. The Right to have identification papers
Around 6000 Palestinians are not registered neither in UNRWAs records nor the Lebanese authorities records; therefore they dont have any kind of legal identification papers at all. In addition to those, 35,000 Palestinians arent registered at UNRWA and 30,000 were removed from those records for obtaining another nationality.
Furthermore, a Lebanese woman married to a Palestinian is deprived of her right passing her nationality to her husband and kids.

Moreover, a Palestinian woman married to a Lebanese man wont be granted Lebanese identity unless she gives birth.

2. The Right to benefit from social services, health care and education
Due to the fact that Palestinians refugees are excluded from UN treaty concerning refugees, they are deprived of benefitting from social services, health care and education.
The result is:
A low educational level of refugees
Women have less chances of continuing their education especially higher education.
One fifth of the refugees suffer from chronic health failure. 3\% suffer from a chronic health disease.

3. The Right of freedom of movement and appropriate housing
The extremely high density of people living in a small area, the high rate of unemployment, the widely spread chronic diseases and high percentage of school drop outs and pollution are few of the many major problems that refugee camps suffer from.

The feeling of being secluded and isolated from the rest of society is a feeling that refugees have due to the military and security measures that siege the camps which leads to despair.

It is not allowed to Palestinians to expand the area of the camp even though the number of people increases year after year.

Building materials are not allowed to enter the camp so its impossible to fix any damaged housing unless building materials is smuggled in.



4. The Right to work
Palestinians are not allowed to work in any of the professional highly skilled and highly paid jobs.

Palestinians are not allowed to join any syndicates

Working Palestinians are under the obligation of paying the fees of social security even though they are not beneficiaries of those services.


5. The Right to own property
Palestinians are neither allowed to own any kind of property nor allowed to build inside the camps.
Palestinians born of a Lebanese mother are not allowed to inherit their mother and can not register these inheritances in their names but they are actually allowed to use them.


6. The Right to form associations and organizations
Palestinians are not allowed to form associations and they are not included in the process of managing their own society.

Young Palestinians are deprived of their right to participate and contribute in the society on the social and civil level.


7. The Right to participate In Local Elections.

Palestinians are not allowed to organize democratic elections to represent Palestinians inside of the camps and gatherings.

Popular committees are recognized by Lebanese authorities as representatives of the local Palestinians (Municipality Election ).

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