By Najla Chahda, Director of Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center
In 2005, the Caritas Lebanon Migration Centre (CLMC) was invited by ICMC to attend the UNHCR meeting, as we work with people covered by UNHCR’s mandate. In the following years, as a UNHCR Implementing Partner, CLMC was encouraged to participate and provide input on activities undertaken in favour of refugee populations as well as about the role played by our centre as leader in this field.
Besides enabling our centre to gain extra knowledge in the field, especially regarding good practices, participation in this meeting is also an occasion to network with other NGOs and propose joint advocacy efforts.
For example, it has introduced CLMC to the International Detention Coalition (IDC), of which the Centre became an active member. Actually, we are constantly asked by the Coalition to provide input regarding migrants’ detention-related matters.
Besides enabling our centre to gain extra knowledge in the field, especially regarding good practices, participation in this meeting is also an occasion to network with other NGOs and propose joint advocacy efforts. For example, participating in the ExCom has introduced CLMC to the International Detention Coalition (IDC), of which the Centre became an active member. Actually, we are constantly solicited by the Coalition to provide input regarding migrants’ detention-related matters.
Protection is a major issue in Lebanon. Lebanon is not signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, which would ensure protection of the refugees. The resistance of the Lebanese Government is due to the link wrongly established between Palestinian refugees and other refugees from different nationalities. Hence, even refugees recognized by UNHCR are not considered as such by the Lebanese Government.
Many refugees, not being aware that Lebanon is not a Geneva Convention signatory, are entering illegally or overstaying their initial visa. This puts them in constant risk of arrest and deportation. Refugees in Lebanon are not staying in camps but in urban settings. Sometimes they face discrimination and xenophobia from local population.
CLMC is endeavouring for a change in the local 1962 laws that are outdated and unfair, and for the signature/ratification of the 1951 Geneva Convention. For over 2 years now, the Centre has successfully pressured the Government regarding an amnesty for all migrants in an irregular situation. As a result, General Security has declared a 3-month amnesty allowing migrants whose residency contradicted the laws, or who entered the country illegally to regularize their status. Meanwhile, alongside UNHCR, CLMC is advocating for the refugees entering Lebanon illegally not to be arrested, and even to be allowed to work in the country.
Besides lobbying and advocacy, the Centre is providing a large array of direct services for refugees and asylum seekers, such as: temporary shelter for new-arrival Iraqi families and women victims of SGBV; social, medical, humanitarian, psychological and legal assistance for refugees inside and outside detention; education; vocational trainings; awareness sessions on rights and responsibilities, etc.
The international community and UN Agencies should deploy more efforts in lobbying the Government of Lebanon, and advocating for a better treatment of refugees in the country. They should put more pressure in terms of laws change and enforcement. International community and UN Agencies should jointly address messages to the Government of Lebanon, which will have a greater/stronger impact than when advocating at an individual level. UN Agencies alongside International community should foreseen putting economic sanctions on Lebanon if it fails to engage in a process aiming at improving the refugees’ situation in the country by abiding to international human rights standards.
Caritas is a well known and respected organisation, it imposes itself to the relevant governmental entities. As a result, CLMC is the sole NGO in the country allowed by general security to operate within the Retention Centre for Foreign Persons. The brand name Caritas is allowing us to access places at local, regional and international levels, where others cannot.
