Dokument #1318433
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
12 December 1989
Lebanon. Refugee determination acceptance
statistics for USA.
From:
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation
Centre (IRBDC) Ottawa
Keywords:
USA / refugee status / refugee status
applications / statistical data / Lebanese / human rights
violations / abduction / UNRWA / politics / political opposition /
Lebanon
1)
On February 5, 1988, two Scandinavian
workers of the U.N.R.W.A. in Lebanon were abducted by gunmen near
the port city of Sidon [ "Kidnappers in Lebanon accuse captive UN
employees of espionage links", Associated Press. 17 February
1988.]. Following the abduction the U.N.R.W.A. transferred its
administration from Tripoli and the Biqa valley to Damascus ["UNRWA
to move Lebanon administration to Syria", BBC Monitoring
Service. Summary of World Broadcasts. 18 February 1988.]. The
international organization blamed the abduction on the Palestinians
[ Rima Salameh, "UN Relief and Works Agency says Scandinavians
kidnapped in Lebanon are held by non-political Palestinians",
Associated Press. 6 February 1988.]. The two U.N.R.W.A.
workers were released on 1st March 1988 [ "Lebanon: UNRWA captives
freed; statement on US captive", Associated Press. 3 March
1988.].
In 1987, at the time when the war camps was
going on in Beirut, Syrian forces and the Amal movement prevented
the U.N.R.W.A. from entering the camps to provide inhabitants with
food and medical supplies [ "PLO leader Arafat's Message to
Besieged Palestinian Camps in Lebanon", BBC Monitoring
Service. Summary of World Broadcasts. 8 October 1986.
"Lebanon: PLO Statement on Syrian Killings in Beirut", BBC
Monitoring Service. Summary of World Broadcasts. 27 February
1987.]. In May 1986, facing abductions and murders of foreigners in
Lebanon, the U.N.R.W.A. decided to transfer about 10 of its foreign
personnel from West to East Beirut [ "Lebanon: UNRWA moves staff
from West to East Beirut", BBC Monitoring Service. Summary
of World Broadcasts. 7 May 1986.].
2)
Mr Badri Hamadi, a well informed member of
the Lebanese community in Canada, has informed us that Kamal
Chatila headed a small nasserite leftist group in Lebanon, the name
of which he could not recall however. Mr Hamadi does not know if
the group still exists. No other information is available at the
IRBDC concerning the above-mentioned group.
3) Statistics on the Refugee determination acceptance of Lebanese
citizens for the U.S.A. will be forwarded to you as soon as they
get available to the IRBDC.
Attachments:
"Kidnappers in Lebanon accuse captive
UN employees of espionage links", Associated Press. 17
February 1988.
"Lebanon: PLO Statement on Syrian
Killings in Beirut", BBC Monitoring Service. Summary of
World Broadcasts. 27 February 1987.
"Lebanon: UNRWA captives freed;
statement on US captive", Associated Press. 3 March
1988.
"Lebanon: UNRWA moves staff from West to
East Beirut", BBC Monitoring Service. Summary of World
Broadcasts. 7 May 1986.
"PLO leader Arafat's Message to Besieged
Palestinian Camps in Lebanon", BBC Monitoring Service.
Summary of World Broadcasts. 8 October 1986.
Rima Salameh, "UN Relief and Works
Agency says Scandinavians kidnapped in Lebanon are held by
non-political Palestinians", Associated Press. 6 February
1988.
"UNRWA to move Lebanon administration to
Syria", BBC Monitoring Service. Summary of World Broadcasts.
18 February 1988.
According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the rate
of acceptance of Lebanese refugee claimants in the United States of
America is as follows:
From October 1988 to September 1989
Claimants in the U.S.A.:
482 applications
58 granted
124 denied
69 closed (the claimants did not show up or withdrew their
claims)
453 pending
Claimants abroad:
1 application. Granted.
Source:
Immigration and Naturalization Service. U.S.A.
In addition, we have the following information on the types of
claimants who are arriving in the U.S.A. on visitor's visas and,
then, applying for refugee status in Canada. Lebanese refugee
claimants come from Damascus, Athens and Cyprus on a 6 month
visitor's visa. The majority originate from Athens. They are mostly
males aged from 20 to 35 years old. The females usually go the the
U.S.A. with their fathers, brothers or husbands. According to the
State Department, the pull factors for Lebanese refugee claimants
to come to Canada are the language (many speak French), the
presence of family and the enhanced possibility of their being
granted status.
Source:
Department of State, United States of America.