Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced yesterday that Palestinians are not being included in restrictions placed on foreign workers in the country.
Calling on Minister of Labour Kamil Abu Sleiman to make a formal announcement on the matter, Berri said:
“We are witnessing the repercussions of the decision of the Minister of Labor on Palestinian workers, and the situation is almost exploding and the army is exhausted in the streets.”
Palestinians in Lebanon take to the streets over foreign worker clampdown https://t.co/6hfWeH9n4C
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 17, 2019
Late last week Abu Sleiman tightened the restrictions imposed on foreign workers, including Palestine refugees, to force them to obtain working permits. The move saw shops which employ foreign workers illegally closed.
Palestinians held mass protests against the move, saying the new measures were discriminatory and supported US efforts to force Palestinians to accept the “deal of the century” by reducing their economic independence.
Ministry ‘can be flexible’ on Palestinians’ work permits https://t.co/36ZISyXj4p
— The Daily Star Lebanon (@DailyStarLeb) July 15, 2019
Palestinians have been living in Lebanon as refugees for over 70 years since the creation of the state of Israel. To date, they are banned from working in nearly 70 professions including hairdressing and living in overcrowded refugee camps.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
