The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), the Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO), Human Development Center, and Strategic Studies and Human Development (TATWIR) organized a report launching on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at Padova Hotel of “The migration of Palestinian refugees from Lebanon and the rise of deadly journeys as the inevitable result of widespread policies and practices of racial exclusion”. The event coincided with World Refugee Day as well as the 75th anniversary of the Nakba (1948) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The event was attended by journalists as well as representatives from international and local organizations.
The report, which was discussed and presented by Ghassan Abdullah, Director of the Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO), shows the grave violations of refugees' rights in Lebanon and their consequences, which push young people towards deadly illegal migration and have been witnessed by PHRO for 25 years. The report stresses that the policy of non-retention is a "profound policy adopted by successive authorities in Lebanon towards Palestinian refugees."
The report begins with an overview of migration and its grave repercussions, most notably the illegal migration and forced displacement of Palestinians in 1948 and their continuing consequences. The aforementioned also encompasses the successive migration of Palestinian refugees from Lebanon due to policies and practices of marginalization against them. The report included the following points:
Evidence and indications of a policy of non-retention of a soft nature that leads to migration:
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Palestinian refugees' lack of legal personality and fragmentation;
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The closure of areas in the mid-1980s following Israel's invasion in 1982 and the continuing negative impact of decisions and decrees vaguely revoked, for example, Decree No. 478 in 1995 Regulating Entry and Exit of Palestinians into and out of Lebanon;
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The adoption of a racial amendment to the law on the Acquisition of Real-Estate Rights by Foreigners in Lebanon (296/2001), with the aim of depriving Palestine refugees in Lebanon of their right to own property;
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Adoption of two successive amendments to the Labor Code (129/2010) and article 5 of the Social Security Act (128/2010) which served to improve Lebanon's image and not the situation of refugees;
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Arbitrary measures and occupational practices, such as, but not limited to, the blockade of camps and the denial of access to non-Palestinian and Lebanese building materials without permits issued by the Lebanese Army's Intelligence Directorate.
Evidence and indications of a strict policy of non-retention that leads to migration:
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The closure of areas after the Taif Agreement;
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The tightening of the embargo, the intensity of hate speech and racist tone, racial incitement, and collective punishment of the camps;
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A cement wall around the Ain al-Hilweh camp, which is similar to the "apartheid wall" in Palestine;
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The systematic destruction of the Nahr el-Bared camp.
The report calls for accountability and liability. It also expresses significant concern regarding the deep-rooted violations of the human rights of Palestinian refugees and their irrevocable consequences, which are rooted in exclusion and are akin to apartheid practices and crimes against humanity. The research concludes with recommendations that aim to offer tangible solutions to the issue.
An open discussion took place in the second part of the event. The debate reflected on the content of the report and provided attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the report's findings.
The organizers promised to hold a broader meeting to discuss the next steps in the presence of relevant authorities as well as representatives from embassies.
