What are the obstacles Palestinians face when trying to enter the labour market?
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated in April 2022 that:
Based on the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) conducted by the REACH Initiative in December 2021, OCHA reported in 2022 that:
“Like migrants, Palestine Refugees in Lebanon are also vulnerable, repeatedly marginalized and outside of social protection schemes. Even before the crises, PRL had limited access to livelihoods due to restrictions on their right to work in several professions, and frequent discrimination within the workplace; and despite their long-standing presence in Lebanon, they are unable to own or inherit property. Many are dependent on daily/seasonal labour, but the significant deterioration in their living conditions is affecting their physical and mental wellbeing, contributing to tensions which have sometimes escalated into violence in camps and increasing the protection risks faced by women, children and older persons. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon without official identity documents and residency in Lebanon (“non-ID Palestinians”) are even more restricted in their livelihood options as they are often unable to move around freely and are even more vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace. Palestine refugee camps, which are often over-crowded with poor infrastructure are de facto under the governance of Palestinian authorities, which can lead to limited access to official justice systems, particularly for vulnerable groups.”
(Source: OCHA, “Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022”, 14 April 2022, p. 11)
According to the same source:
“Lack of employment and reduced income lead to deteriorating food security and nutritional status of PRL [Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon] households. Similar to Lebanese households, daily/intermittent work was reported by PRL households as their main source of income (50 per cent), followed by community support (21 per cent) and savings (17 per cent). On average, most reported earning between 1 million LBP and less than 2.4 million LBP (between US$49 and US$96 at average exchange rate in December 2021 of $1=LBP25,000). Contracted employment was an income source for only 13 per cent of the households assessed compared to 28 per cent among Lebanese and 61 per cent among migrant households. Increased competition for jobs or not enough jobs was reported to be the major obstacle preventing unemployed family members from finding work, followed by lack of qualification, distance to jobs and employers’ preference for other nationalities. Comparably, 63 per cent of PRL households reported challenges in affording basic needs as a result of loss or reduced employment in the 3 months prior to data collection. To cope, almost half of PRL households reported that they have taken on debt to meet basic needs – among these households 18 per cent reported that food was the primary reason for taking on debt.”
(Source: OCHA, “Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022”, 14 April 2022, p. 26)
In a peer-reviewed article about Palestinians’ access to the labour market in Lebanon published in 2022, academics Samih Eloubeidi and Prof. Tina Kempin wrote:
“Despite amendments to the Lebanese Labour Law and Social Security Law in 2010 waiving work permit fees for Palestinian refugees born in Lebanon, the 2016 unemployment rate stands at 23% and only 42% of Palestinian refugees are economically active. Women face higher poverty rates, higher unemployment rates, and only comprise 15% of the Palestinian workforce. Less than 3.3% of Palestinian refugee workers have an official employment contract that allows them to seek a work permit, highlighting that many are unable to access occupations that are open to them. Recent new employment restrictions have affected Palestinian businesses and increased insecurity. The situation is especially dire for young people, which constitute the majority of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Youth unemployment and lack of school attendance are one of the biggest issues that face young Palestinians in Lebanon, especially affecting females. Twenty-six per cent of young women cite household work and 15% cite family reasons for their lack of employment or educational activity while only 7% cite being restricted from obtaining work. For economically inactive men, the reasons are more varied; 11% cited illness, 12% cited ‘other reasons’, 6% cited they were preparing to start a new job, and 6% cited family reasons. Even if Palestinian refugees find work, they are often discriminated against, are exposed to unfair and unsafe work conditions, and are usually paid less than their Lebanese counterparts working the same job. The average monthly income of Palestinian workers is $356, below Lebanon’s official minimum wage of $447, which most Lebanese workers earn. Further, while the average is $356, half of the employed Palestinian refugee population earns less than $330 a month, placing them even further below the minimum wage.
Because of the difficult work situation, many Palestinians have given up finding employment, citing long working hours, low pay, poor working conditions, and educational mismatch. Many refugees continue to be dependent on the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), established in 1949 to provide relief resulting from the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, for basic support. The UNRWA provides primary, secondary, and vocational education, health care, social services, infrastructure improvement, and emergency response.”
(Source: Samih Eloubeidi & Tina Kempin Reuter/ The International Journal of Human Rights, “Restricting access to employment as a human rights violation: a case study of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon”, 11 April 2022, pp. 3-4)
Based on a qualitative survey of 15 men between 24 and 75 years old living in the Bourj el-Baraneh Camp on the outskirts of Beirut conducted by researchers Samih Eloubeidi & Prof. Tina Kemplin Reuter in 2021, the latter reported that:
“[...]Overall, the occupations that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon carry out on average are not enough to support them and their families or to enable the younger generation access to education and a better future. Employment restrictions in combination with the stateless status and camp confinement of Palestinians have therefore far- reaching and grave consequences, affecting not only the current situation, but perpetuating a cycle of poverty, dependency on outside aid, and limiting the ability for progression and advancement.
[…] Perceptions of restricted access to employment on emotional and mental well-being
[ ] The doctor, for example, responded with ‘agree’.46 When asked about his choice in the interview, he based his
response on the fact that he does not have access to resources, knowledge, or practices that he would have if he were allowed to practice and develop his skills outside the camp. He noted, with exasperation: ‘I cannot become better than what I am. I am a cardiologist by training, but I haven’t done an EKG in a very long time’, highlighting the restrictions he faces in his occupation.”
(Source: Samih Eloubeidi & Tina Kempin Reuter/ The International Journal of Human Rights, “Restricting access to employment as a human rights violation: a case study of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Perceptions of restricted access to employment on integration”, 11 April 2022, pp. 8-9)
46 The doctor was answering question 1: I feel oppressed working this job. Restricting access to employment as a human rights violation: a case study of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Samih Eloubeidi & Tina Kempin Reuter. 11 April 2022, p.9
In the internationally recognised book they published in 2020, legal scholars Dr. Francesca Albanese [currently Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory] and Prof Lex Takkenberg wrote:
“Registered Palestine Refugees
[...]Two new laws of 2010 pertaining to social security and labour enable Palestine refugees to obtain work permits at no cost and earn social security benefits (such as end-of-service and injury-related indemnity) regardless of the reciprocity condition. In practice, the application of the laws is uneven. According to bylaws in force, some (p. 215) professions are still off limits for Palestine refugees, such as general medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, tourist guide, and some others, and where employment is possible, obtaining a work permit still entails a lengthy process with success dependant on the goodwill of the employer. Even when Palestine refugees are not denied their rights de jure, they must still deal with the complexities of the Lebanese system, and Lebanese bureaucracy often appears to discriminate against Palestinians. As a result, most Palestine refugees in Lebanon reportedly work in menial, low- paying jobs in the informal sector and receive lower salaries than Lebanese nationals.”
(Source: “Francesca P. Albanese and Lex Takkenberg/Oxford University Press, Palestinian Refugees in International Law”, May 2020, Chapter 3.3.3, Legal Status and Treatment, p. 276)