iloubnan - Palestinian refugees to benefit from end-of-service coverage - May 28, 2011

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) announced that Palestinian refugees will start benefiting from end-of-service coverage in accordance with Law 128. The NSSF said that in order to benefit from the service, the beneficiary should be a Palestinian refugee residing in Lebanon, is registered at the Directorate of Political Affairs and Refugees, and has obtained a work permit according to the laws and regulations. Last August, the Lebanese Parliament passed Law 128 that provided working rights to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The bill gave Palestinians the right to enter the wider labor market on the same terms as other foreigners, and authorized the refugees to work in a number of professions that were previously prohibited to Palestinians. Further, Palestinians became eligible to benefit for the first time from social security protection, which will be derived from a special fund, and not from the resources of the NSSF. The United Nations estimates there are 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, many of whom already work in low-skilled jobs without proper legal status.

Source: Lebanon This Week Bulletin, Byblos Bank