Policy brief

The work of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is a right and a common interest

The issue of Palestinians’ right to work in Lebanon is still controversial at the economic, political and social fronts.

The problematic of granting the Palestinians the right to work relates to many considerations: 1) political, that link humanitarian, social and economic rights to the concerns over naturalization (tawteen); 2) economic, according to which the Palestinian labour force is competing with the Lebanese and diffusing the Palestinians to work abroad and therefore would contribute to promoting the Lebanese economy through sending remittances to the country, in addition to aid money from the international community that is disbursed towards their support; and, 3) social, according to which the Lebanese state falls short of guaranteeing the rights of the Lebanese and Palestinian workers alike.