It's been known for years that Lebanon treats Palestinian refugees like dirt. A new study by the American University of Beirut and the UNRWA confirms the effects of "Lebanese apartheid."
The Daily Star and an AUB press release summarize the key findings:
425,000: Palestinian refugees registered as living in Lebanon.
260,000 – 270,000: Refugees actually living in Lebanon.
56 percent: Refugee jobless rate.
53,000: Refugees considered to have stable employment.
66.4: Percentage of refugees living on less than $6.00/day.
4.5: Average size of refugee family.
$700: Average monthly income for a refugee family.
35: Percentage of Lebanese nationals living below poverty line.
6: Percentage of Palestinians enrolled in Lebanese universities.
20: Percentage of Lebanese enrolled in Lebanese universities.
65: Percentage of refugees lacking a grade-9 education.
The full study is expected to be released at the end of the year. But here's the Daily Star's spoiler:
A large amount of blame is being placed on the perceived lack of opportunities, limited by state restrictions requiring Palestinians to obtain work permits and which, in spite of recent relaxations, still exclude Palestinians from certain professions, such as medicine.
Lebanon recently expanded job opportunities for Palestinians, but refugees were skeptical.
But it's only apartheid when Israel is accused of systematically limiting Palestinian job opportunities, right?
