Olfat Mahmoud of the Women's Humanitarian Organization (WHO), Souheil El-Natour Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Jaber Suleiman Aidoun Lebanon.
This radio documentary was produced by Sawsan Kalache, Mohamed Shublaq & Stefan Christoff of the Independent Media Center of Beirut.
Hundreds of thousands of stateless Palestinian refugees reside in Lebanon scattered in impoverished refugee camps throughout the country, originally displaced through the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Without the right to work in over 70 professions, barred from owning property and legally defined as foreigners, Palestinians live in Lebanon as second-class citizens without basic social or political rights.
In June 2005, Lebanon's Labour Minister proposed changes to the country's labour laws, which if implemented by the newly formed government will allow Palestinians in the country the right to work in manual and clerical jobs, while still being forced to apply for foreign work permits. Although the proposed changes will still prohibit Palestinian professionals from working as doctors, lawyers, journalists, politicians and engineers.
The proposed amendments to the country labour law takes place in the shadow of larger political changes in Lebanon. In April 2005, Syria capitulated with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 and withdrew upwards of 15 000 troops from the country. Social and political pressure also forced tens-of-thousands of Syrian workers from the country. In this context Palestinians in the camps express skepticism regarding economic motives for the proposed change regarding their right to work, as it is commonly argued that Palestinians can now fill the cheap-labour vacuum, left by the withdrawal of Syrian labour force.
----> For more information of the current situation of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon visit the Independent Media Center of Beirut at: http://www.beirut.indymedia.org
![<?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/rp-navimg.gif)
![Support the <?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/support.png)
