13. Mai 2014

 

Es wurde eine Anfrage an das BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, eine unabhängige Non-Profit Organisation, die sich für die Rechte palästinensischer Flüchtlinge einsetzt, gestellt. In einer E-Mail-Auskunft vom 12. Mai 2014 antwortet ein Vertreter von BADIL auf die Frage, ob ein zuvor in Syrien registrierter palästinensischer Flüchtling in einem anderen UNRWA-Operationsgebiet Schutz bekommen könne, dass UNRWA keinen umfassenden Schutz biete, da dies nicht ihr Mandat sei. Vielmehr biete UNRWA humanitäre Unterstützung. Falls einer Person, die Unterstützung von UNRWA erhält, die Einreise in ein anderes Operationsgebiet (Libanon, Jordanien, Gaza, Westjordanland) erlaubt werde, so könne die Person dort UNRWA-Leistungen in Anspruch nehmen. Obwohl dies die normale Vorgangsweise sei, würden die jordanische und die libanesische Regierung die Aufnahme palästinensischer Flüchtlinge aus Syrien verweigern. In Jordanien würden Palästinenser in Lagern an der Grenze wie beispielsweise Zatari festgehalten, und falls sie inoffiziell einreisen, würden sie zurückgebracht, wenn sie um Unterstützung ansuchen. Praktische Faktoren würden daher dem theoretisch erlaubten Zugang zu UNRWA im Wege stehen:

„Firstly, UNRWA does not provide comprehensive protection because it is not mandated to. Rather, it provides humanitarian assistance. If an individual receiving assistance from UNRWA is allowed entry into another area of operations, s/he will be eligible to benefit from UNRWA services there. While this is the normal procedure, the Jordanian and Lebanese governments are refusing to receive Palestinian refugees from Syria. In Jordan, Palestinians are kept in border camps like Zatari and if they enter unofficially, they are returned when seeking assistance. So practical factors get in the way of theoretically permitted access to UNRWA.” (BADIL, 12. Mai 2014)

Auf die Frage, wie die praktische Vorgangsweise wäre, wenn ein in Österreich aufhältiger palästinensischer Flüchtling aus Syrien sich in einem anderen UNRWA-Operationsgebiet registrieren lassen wolle, antwortet BADIL, dass die Wiederregistrierung ein langer Prozess sei, und dass weder UNRWA noch die betroffene Person dies in die Wege leiten könnten, bevor die Einreise in das Staatsgebiet durch das Gastland anerkannt werde. Daher sei eine Anerkennung durch den Aufnahmestaat im Vorhinein nötig:

„Re-registration is a long process, but neither UNRWA or the concerned person could implement it before his/her entry to the new area was recognized by the host country. Thus, recognition is required in advance.” (BADIL, 12. Mai 2014)

Die Frage, ob die Behörden der betroffenen Staaten die Einreise eines palästinensischen Flüchtlings aus Syrien aufgrund der Tatsache, dass die Person bei UNRWA registriert gewesen sei, erlauben würden, wird von BADIL mit „normalerweise nein“ beantwortet. (BADIL, 12. Mai 2014)

 

ACCORD hat auch entsprechende Anfragen an UNRWA in Jordanien und im Libanon gestellt, bisher ist jedoch keine Antwort eingelangt.

 

Die folgenden Ausschnitte aus ausgewählten Quellen enthalten Informationen zur Lage palästinensischer Flüchtlinge, insbesondere aus Syrien, im Libanon und in Jordanien, sowie in Gaza und dem Westjordanland:

Jordanien

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: PRS in Lebanon, März 2014a

http://www.unrwa.org/prs-jordan

„As of March 2014, over 12,000 Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) had sought support from UNRWA in Jordan. The vast majority of these refugees live in communities with host families or in rental premises. A small group of those who entered early in the conflict, approximately 200 individuals, are held in 'Cyber City', a government facility in Ramtha, along with approximately 200 Syrian refugees.

The number of Palestine refugees displaced from Syria registering with UNRWA in Jordan is projected to approach 20,000 by the end of 2014. Through the emergency response programme, UNRWA provides them with relief and social and protection services. They also access UNRWA education and health services, straining the existing capacities of the Agency as the numbers grow.

By the time PRS in Jordan register with UNRWA, they have exhausted their support mechanisms and are in dire need of assistance. Their most critical needs are for shelter, food and non-food items.  UNRWA works to provide these vulnerable refugees with relief and social and protection services. They also access UNRWA education and health services, straining the existing capacities of the Agency as the numbers grow. As of March  2014, over 2,000 PRS and Syrian refugee children had enrolled in UNRWA schools in Jordan. UNRWA health centres provided over 17,000 free consultations to PRS patients in 2013.

The Government of Jordan announced a policy of non-entry to Palestinians fleeing the Syria conflict in early 2013. This stemmed the flow of Palestine refugees from Syria towards Jordan and compounded the extreme vulnerability of Palestinians seeking safety in Syria, as well as that of those who managed to enter Jordan.

The irregular status of PRS in Jordan means they endure a considerable degree of insecurity. They face difficulties in civil processes such as registration of births and in access to government services, and are at constant risk of refoulement. The development of negative coping mechanisms among refugees is also a risk, and we are working to better identify and refer cases of gender-based violence and other serious issues.

Protection remains a priority for us in Jordan. UNRWA has strengthened its capacity to monitor and respond to protection issues affecting Palestine refugees from Syria and will continue to appeal to the Government of Jordan to uphold the international legal principles of non-refoulement and equal treatment of refugees.” (UNRWA, März 2014a)

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: Syria Regional Crisis Response Update 74, 4. Mai 2014

http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/emergency-reports/syria-regional-crisis-response-update-74

„In Jordan, 13,761 PRS and their families have approached UNRWA, an increase of 238 over the last two weeks. The number of recorded arrivals has fallen to around 100 per month, but PRS who were are already in Jordan continue to register with UNRWA. A large number of PRS in Jordan live in poverty and their precarious legal status creates difficulties for civil processes, access to services and employment. Ninety-five per cent of PRS in Jordan come from the greater Damascus area and Dera’a province; 99 per cent live in host communities, where 84 per cent pay rent. Along with some 200 Syrians, 188 PRS are held in ’Cyber City’, a government-appointed facility near Ramtha.

Education · Admission to the 173 UNRWA schools across Jordan is open to PRS and Syrian children residing in 10 official and 3 unofficial UNRWA camps in Jordan. For the semester that started in February, 2,121 PRS and Syrian children are enrolled in UNRWA schools, an estimated enrolment rate of 85 per cent of PRS children. The children are integrated in regular and remedial classes and follow the Jordanian curriculum. Fifty-seven more teachers have been hired, extra school furniture has been distributed and psychosocial and recreational activities are organized to support children’s integration into the new schools. UNRWA monitors drop-outs and offers targeted solutions to encourage families to enrol their children.

Health · PRS can receive free primary health care in the 24 UNRWA clinics across Jordan, and hospital referrals for emergency and life-saving care with full coverage, except when the cost is prohibitive. In the first quarter of 2014, PRS made almost 3,500 free consultations in UNRWA clinics. Overall, PRS have good access to health care, with 98 per cent reporting they receive medical care when they need it. However, 14 per cent of households report the overall health status of their household as bad or very bad. PRS have significant psychosocial needs, which UNRWA is responding to through referrals to specialized agencies.

Emergency Relief · Cash distribution for all PRS is ongoing in April, distributing about US$ 350,000 to 1,500 families; this is the last distribution before UNRWA shifts to an ATM-based system. In March, 619 PRS also received arrival grants to help them meet their basic needs for two months. Ninety-nine PRS received emergency cash grants to address an urgent protection or humanitarian need. Fifty-seven per cent of PRS households have one or more employed member, regular or irregular, but 72 per cent are in debt to meet their basic needs. Providing regular relief is critical to prevent families from falling into abject poverty. However, the PRS cash-assistance programme in Jordan is underfunded, and currently not funded beyond April 2014. UNRWA distributed NFI arrival kits to 600 PRS families, including bedding, hygiene kits and kitchen sets.” (UNRWA, 4. Mai 2014)

·      USDOS - US Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2013 - Jordan, 27. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270743/400852_de.html

„Refoulement: Since the Syrian crisis, the government has been much more lenient in allowing Syrians of Palestinian origin to remain in the country. During the year the government turned away at the border crossing Syrians of Palestinian origin, although some were still able to gain entry to Jordan. […]

As of September 30, 9,105 Palestinian refugees from Syria had recorded their presence in country with UNRWA. Palestinian refugees from Syria were eligible for UNRWA services only.” (USDOS, 27. Februar 2014, Section 2d)

·      SFH - Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe: Jordanien, Libanon: Syrische Flüchtlinge. Auskunft der SFH-Länderanalyse (Autorin: Alexandra Geiser), 26. September 2012

http://www.fluechtlingshilfe.ch/herkunftslaender/arabia/libanon/jordanien-libanon-syrische-fluechtlinge/at_download/file

„Palästinensische Flüchtlinge. Besonders problematisch ist die Situation für palästinensische Flüchtlinge aus Syrien. Wie viele syrische Flüchtlinge überqueren auch sie inoffiziell die Grenze. Human Rights Watch berichtet, palästinensische Flüchtlinge würden vom jordanischen Militär daran gehindert, die Grenze zu überqueren. Sie würden zum Teil mit Waffengewalt gezwungen, wieder nach Syrien zurück zu kehren oder vom jordanischen Militär inhaftiert. Palästinenser aus Syrien berichten auch über Deportationen aus dem Landesinneren. Seit April 2012 inhaftieren die jordanischen Behörden alle Palästinenser, die illegal eingereist sind. Human Rights Watch stellte zudem fest, seit April seien palästinensische Flüchtlinge ohne Erklärungen von der Sponsor-Politik ausgeschlossen. Seither wurden alle Palästinenser in Cyber City untergerbacht (Stand Juni 2012).“ (SFH, 26. September 2012, S. 4)

Libanon

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: PRS in Lebanon, März 2014b

http://www.unrwa.org/prs-lebanon

„As of March 2014, over 52,000 Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) were seeking safety and shelter from the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. However, even Lebanon is becoming an increasingly desperate option.

One of the most immediate concerns for PRS is shelter, but a housing shortage, combined with the government's reluctance to authorize the establishment of new refugee camps, has made rental prices prohibitively high. The increase has not spared the country's 12 existing Palestine refugee camps, which suffered from high rates of poverty and overcrowding even before the influx. It is crucial that UNRWA continue to be able to provide rental assistance in order to help Palestine refugees fulfil this important need.

Providing continued, reliable access to education helps UNRWA ensure a sense of normalcy for PRS children and prevent major disruptions in their academic progress. In Lebanon, we are working to accommodate PRS children and address their needs; as of March, 7,400 PRS children were attending UNRWA schools in Lebanon – 15 per cent integrated into the regular UNRWA system in the country and 85 per cent in special classes for PRS. The overall low enrolment, however, indicates the difficulties PRS families are facing in finding stability and shelter.

Our health programme is also facing new challenges. While PRS are able to access UNRWA primary health care services, and the Agency has provided support for secondary and tertiary care for those with life-threatening conditions, the growing numbers - combined with the already high costs of medical care in Lebanon - make it increasingly difficult for UNRWA to ensure adequate access to critical care.

Especially in light of the continuing regional crisis, protection remains one of our main priorities. When they attempt to find safety in Lebanon, Palestine refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria are subjected to a separate visa policy, which is both expensive and offers a limited duration of stay. The difficulties of maintaining a valid legal status make PRS particularly vulnerable, as they can become ineligible for civil registration or lose access to certain Palestine refugee camps. UNRWA is enhancing the legal counselling services we provide to advise Palestine refugees from Syria on visas, legal status, civil registration and other matters.” (UNRWA, März 2014b)

 

·      USDOS - US Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2013 - Lebanon, 27. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270765/400871_de.html

„Access to Basic Services:

The law considers UNRWA-registered Palestinian refugees to be foreigners, and in several instances they received poorer treatment than other foreign nationals. This discrimination was particularly true for women. UNRWA has the sole mandate to provide health, education, social services, and emergency assistance to the 441,543 registered Palestinian refugees residing in the country. The amount of land allocated to the 12 official Palestinian refugee camps in the country has changed only marginally since 1948, despite a four-fold increase in the population. Consequently, most Palestinian refugees lived in overpopulated camps, some of which were heavily damaged during multiple conflicts. In accordance with their agreement, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) security committees, not the government, provided security for refugees in the camps, with the exception of the Nahr el-Bared camp.

During the year Nahr el Bared camp residents protested the reduction of health benefits to levels provided to residents before the camp’s destruction in 2007. UNRWA periodically closed its facilities due to concern for staff safety.

Property laws directly and effectively exclude Palestinians due to a 2001 amendment to a 1969 decree barring persons without the nationality of a recognized state from owning land and property. Palestinians who owned property prior to the law entering into force are unable to bequeath it to their heirs, and individuals who were in the process of purchasing property in installments were unable to register the property.

Palestinian refugees residing in the country were not able to obtain citizenship and were not citizens of any other country. Palestinian refugee women married to citizens were able to obtain citizenship and transmit citizenship to their children. Palestinian refugees, including children, had limited social and civil rights and no access to public health, education, or other social services. Children of Palestinian refugees faced discrimination in birth registration, and many had to leave school at an early age to earn an income.

Palestinians who fled Syria received limited basic support from UNRWA, including food aid, cash assistance, and winter clothing vouchers. Authorities permitted their children to enroll in UNRWA schools and access UNRWA health clinics. There were approximately 50,600 Palestinians from Syria registered with the agency at year’s end.” (USDOS, 27. Februar 2014, Section 2d)

„The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights for citizens but placed limitations on the rights of Palestinian refugees. As of November 21, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided protection and support to 746,203 refugees and asylum seekers, the vast majority of whom were from Syria. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provided assistance specifically to Palestinian refugees registered in Lebanon as well as to those who were registered in Syria and who had fled to Lebanon and were recorded with UNRWA Lebanon. The government cooperated with the UNHCR, UNRWA, and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern.

In-country Movement: The government and militias maintained security checkpoints, primarily in military and other restricted areas. Government forces were usually unable to enforce the law in the predominantly Hizballah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and did not typically enter Palestinian refugee camps. According to UNRWA, Palestinian refugees registered with the Ministry of Interior’s Directorate of Political and Refugee Affairs could travel from one area of the country to another. The directorate, however, had to approve the transfer of registration of residence for refugees who resided in camps. UNRWA stated that the directorate generally approved such transfers. As of mid-July 2012, the requirement enforced by the LAF to obtain an access permit to enter the Nahr el Bared camp was revoked. Lebanese and Palestinians entering the camps needed only to show their identity cards at the LAF checkpoints outside the camp. Authorities required foreigners to apply for visitor permits from the LAF.” (USDOS, 27. Februar 2014, Section 2d)

„The number of Palestinians refugees fleeing from Syria increased sharply in 2012, and UNRWA expressed concern about the continued safety of this population as their one-year temporary residency permits expired. Both Syrians and Palestinian refugees had to pay the 300,000 Lebanese pound ($200) fee for a six-month or temporary residency permit, which could be renewed for another six months free of charge, after the one-year permit expired.” (USDOS, 27. Februar 2014, Section 2d)

·      AI - Amnesty International: Amnesty International Report 2013 - Zur weltweiten Lage der Menschenrechte - Lebanon, 23. Mai 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/247991/374145_de.html

„Palästinensische Flüchtlinge litten weiterhin unter Diskriminierung und hatten weder Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt noch zum Bildungs- und Gesundheitssystem sowie zu angemessenem Wohnraum. […]

Tausende palästinensische Flüchtlinge, die seit vielen Jahren im Libanon leben, waren weiterhin per Gesetz von der Arbeit in bestimmten Berufen ausgeschlossen, und Rechte, die libanesischen Staatsbürgern zustehen, werden ihnen vorenthalten.

Zehntausende Flüchtlinge aus Syrien überquerten 2012 die Grenze zum Libanon. Damit verschärften sich die Probleme bezüglich Wohnraum, Bildungs- und Gesundheitssystem sowie anderer begrenzter Ressourcen im Libanon. Der UN-Hochkommissar für Flüchtlinge (UNHCR) hatte zum Ende des Jahres über 170000 syrische Flüchtlinge im Libanon registriert. Die tatsächliche Zahl dürfte indes noch wesentlich höher liegen. Die meisten Flüchtlinge hielten sich im Beka-Tal im Norden des Libanon auf. Palästinensische Flüchtlinge, die Syrien verlassen mussten, sahen sich diskriminierenden Einreiseformalitäten durch die libanesischen Behörden ausgesetzt. Libanon hat das UN-Abkommen über die Rechtsstellung der Flüchtlinge aus dem Jahr 1951 sowie das Zusatzprotokoll aus dem Jahr 1967 nicht ratifiziert.“ (AI, 23. Mai 2013)

·      ICG - International Crisis Group: Too Close For Comfort: Syrians in Lebanon, 13. Mai 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1370523364_141-too-close-for-comfort-syrians-in-lebanon.pdf

„Palestinians are more conspicuous. By April 2013, 50,000 Palestinian – refugees twice over, first in Syria, then in Lebanon – had registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Lebanon. Their numbers apparently spiked in December 2012, when fighting engulfed the large Palestinian camp of Yarmouk, prompting many of its residents to flee.” (ICG, 13. Mai 2013, S. 4)

„Funding is presently the most critical challenge for the UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and, in a sense, even the Lebanese state. On 9 April, UNHCR warned it was reaching ‘breaking point’, while a World Food Programme official said, ‘in one month, and with the current funding, more than 400,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon will no longer receive food assistance’. Likewise, UNRWA – which, in addition to providing basic services to Lebanon’s longstanding population of Palestinian refugees must now face two other major tasks, reconstructing the Nahr al-Bared campdestroyed in 2007 and dealing with the influx of Palestinians from Syria – is struggling to secure funding at a time when Western economies are in difficulty.” (ICG, 13. Mai 2013, S. 4-5)

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: Syria Regional Crisis Response Update 74, 4. Mai 2014

http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/emergency-reports/syria-regional-crisis-response-update-74

„In Lebanon, 52,848 PRS have registered with UNRWA, an increase of 289 since the last report. Just over half reside in established Palestine refugee camps, and the rest reside in private rented accommodation or informal gatherings. Of PRS in Lebanon, 31 per cent are in Saida, 18 per cent in Tyre, 18 per cent in central Lebanon, 17 per cent in Bekaa and 16 per cent in northern Lebanon.

Education · UNRWA schools are accommodating 7,486 PRS children, of whom 85 per cent attend special classes for PRS in order to gradually join the 15 per cent of PRS already integrated in regular UNRWA classes in Lebanon. More than 410 additional staff have been recruited, many of whom PRS themselves, and psychosocial support and recreational activities are offered for PRS students.

Health · Primary and secondary health care and medications are freely available to PRS at the 27 UNRWA health centres located throughout Lebanon. UNRWA also contributes towards tertiary hospitalization for emergency and life-threatening conditions, and covers full emergency-room services at Palestine Red Crescent Society hospitals. UNRWA also provides additional support to cover medical bills for PRS suffering from critical health conditions.

Emergency relief · In Lebanon, UNRWA provides cash assistance by crediting ATM cards issued to beneficiaries since September 2013 and to newcomers on a rolling basis. In March, 14,519 PRS families received an ATM card and were credited for food and housing assistance. Assistance for 2014 is based on US$ 30 per person for food and US$ 100 per family for housing. Unaccompanied and separated minors receive assistance in cash, following an assessment by an UNRWA protection team.

Environmental health · As over 50 per cent of PRS reside in the existing Palestine refugee camps in Lebanon, a strain has been placed on the already fragile environmental-health infrastructure, including water and sewerage infrastructure and management. UNRWA is upgrading the infrastructure systems in the camps in response. Some of this is being done through conditional cash subsidies to beneficiaries to carry out simple maintenance works as part of the Agency’s self-help approach. The Agency has also started an environmental health-promotion programme in the 12 camps.

Protection · UNRWA continues to monitor and offer advice and assistance to PRS crossing at the border and to advocate with the Lebanese government for equal treatment of all refugees at the border. Since August 2013, many refugees from Syria, including PRS, have been denied entry into Lebanon. Legal status in Lebanon is critical, as it ensures PRS can pass through checkpoints, including to and from camps, and complete civil registration processes. UNRWA continues to provide legal advice and assistance to PRS who do not possess a valid Lebanese visa.“ (UNRWA, 4. Mai 2014)

·      BBC News: Syrian refugees fear permanent exile in Lebanon's camps, 3. April 2014

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26816043#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

„Syrian refugees have flooded into Lebanon since the start of the conflict in their country three years ago, swelling the population by more than 25%. Before the war, Syria was a lower middle-income country, and many of its refugees have been able to afford to rent vacant apartments throughout the country. For the less fortunate however, shelter has been found in vast, informal tented camps in the Bekaa Valley - and in Beirut's Sabra and Shatila camps, known for the infamous massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees by Lebanese Christian militiamen during the 1982 Israeli invasion. The camps are situated less than 4km (2.5 miles) from central Beirut's tree-lined promenades, uncomfortably entrenched in the predominantly Shia district of Dahiyeh. They are urban slums, confined to an area of about 1.3 sq km (0.5 square miles), with more than 10,000 people living in desperate conditions worlds away from the cosmopolitan districts barely 10 minutes' drive away. […] Refugees, both Palestinians and Syrians who are newly arrived at Sabra and Shatila, rely on aid money from local non-governmental organisations and from the United Nations.” (BBC, 3. April 2014)

·      AFP - Agence France-Presse: Lebanon all but bars Palestinians fleeing Syria, 9. Mai 2014 (veröffentlich auf Reliefweb)

http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/lebanon-all-bars-palestinians-fleeing-syria

„Lebanon has placed prohibitive restrictions on the entry of Palestinians fleeing Syria, making it almost impossible for them to take refuge in the small Mediterranean country.

New measures mean Palestinians fleeing Syria will not be given visas at the border, while those who are already in the country will not have their visas renewed. In a statement posted on his Facebook page Thursday, Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnuq said no visas will be issued at the main Masnaa border crossing. Palestinians living in Syria who wish to enter Lebanon must first request a visa at the Lebanese embassy in Damascus. The request will be processed by the Lebanese General Security agency. Only those with a residence permit in Lebanon will be admitted, the minister said.

Mashnuq also announced that the two-week visas previously granted to Palestinians fleeing Syria would no longer be renewable. Mashnuq said Palestinians from Syria have the right to a 24-hour transit visa, allowing people to travel to or from Beirut International Airport, if they have a valid ticket and visa or residence permit in another country. Lebanon has not signed the international refugee convention, but had generally kept its border open to people fleeing the conflict in Syria despite the scale of the influx.

Lebanon hosts more refugees from Syria than any other country, with 52,000 Palestinians among a total of more than a million. It now has the highest refugee population per capita in the world. Human rights activists say Palestinians in Syria, who once numbered 500,000, have been targeted by both sides in the conflict, making them one of the country's most vulnerable groups.

[…] Turkey and Jordan, which also host large numbers of refugees from Syria, have barred entry to Palestinians. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said Thursday that, ‘since 9 am no Palestine refugees from Syria have been allowed to cross into Lebanon’. Agency spokesman Chris Gunness appealed to Lebanese authorities not to block those in need of sanctuary.” (AFP, 9. Mai 2014)

Bitte beachten Sie auch die Informationen in folgender Anfragebeantwortung von ACCORD:

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zum Libanon: Informationen über das von der UNRWA verwaltete palästinensische Flüchtlingslager Rachidieh (Rashidieh, Rashidiya): Lage um das Jahr 1999 und aktuelle Lage [a-8697], 8. Mai 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/275882/405092_de.html

 

Gaza und Westjordanland

·      Asharq al-Awsat: Attempt to secure return of Palestinian refugees in Syria fails, 13. Juli 2013

http://www.aawsat.net/2013/07/article55309528

„Palestinian and Israeli sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas had contacted the Syrian authorities via Russia to secure the safe return of Palestinian refugees trapped in Syria to the Palestinian territories. This would require Israeli approval, according to the Oslo Accords. The Palestinian president duly contacted Tel Aviv in an attempt to secure Israeli consent. In exchange, he offered to ease restrictive Palestinian Authority conditions for the resumption of peace negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added a condition of his own; namely, for all the returned Palestinian refugees to sign an agreement waiving their right of return.

Abbas completely rejected that condition, and the plans to secure the safe return of the Palestinian refugees in Syria fizzled out.” (Asharq al-Awsat, 13. Juli 2013)

·      The Times of Israel: Hamas, PA reportedly refuse to take in Palestinian refugees from Syria, 3. Jänner 2013

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-pa-reportedly-refuse-to-take-in-palestinian-refugees-from-syria/#ixzz31awPpaEq

„Hamas and the Palestinian Authority rejected the United Nations’ request that they take in Palestinian refugees who fled Syria during the ongoing brutal civil war, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday.

[…] According to the report, head of Hamas in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh told UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, that the Gaza Strip couldn’t take in Syria’s Palestinian refugees due to an ideological issue: If they take in the refugees from Syria, Israel could use it against them when it comes to the Palestinians’ demand for the ‘right to return’ to villages inside present day Israel, by pointing out that the refugees no longer need to return to Israel because they have been relocated to new homes in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Authority’s refusal stems from a different reason — a financial one. The PA, which, according to the report, initially inquired about absorbing the Palestinian refugees in Syria, has experienced severe budget cuts and has begged Arab leaders for millions of dollars in loans to solve its debt crisis. The PA’s coffers have been hurt following Israel’s decision not to hand over PA tax revenues and other related payments in the wake of President Mahmoud Abbas’s successful UN bid for nonmember observer status in November.

In December, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, citing the fragile situation of the Palestinian refugees in Syria, called on Damascus’s neighbors, including Israel, to open their borders to them.” (The Times of Israel, 3. Jänner 2013)

·      Reuters: Abbas asks Israel to let in Palestinians fleeing Syria, 25. Jänner 2013

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-israel-palestinians-refugees-idUSBRE90O13R20130125

„Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tried to get Israel to let 150,000 Palestinians fleeing war in Syria resettle in the West Bank, but dropped the request after the Jewish state demanded they first give up their right of return, he said.

[…] Israel has said it has no plans to allow them to enter the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. ‘I asked the Secretary General of the United Nations, I told him to ask our neighbors to let us be bring them to Palestine. Four days later the surprise answer came to me, (the Israelis) agree,’ Abbas told Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen television in an interview broadcast on Friday. ‘They agree on one condition...that each one of the refugees renounce their right of return. We said, forget it,’ Abbas said.

[…] Twenty thousand Palestinian refugees have fled from Syria into neighboring Lebanon, joining 400,000 Palestinians living in hard-scrabble ghettos in that small nation. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied it would let Palestinians from Syria into the West Bank. Israeli government representatives told Reuters they had no information on such talks. The head of the U.N. agency responsible for Palestinian refugees told Reuters he had not been informed of any deal between Israel and the Palestinians on a repatriation. ‘It seems to be, frankly speaking, an unrealistic option from the practical point of view, to move a large number of people through Jordan and then the occupied territory, or Egypt,’ said Filippo Grandi, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.” (Reuters, 25. Jänner 2013)

·      Qantara.de: Gestrandet in Gaza (Autorin: Inge Günther), 2013

http://de.qantara.de/content/buergerkriegsfluechtlinge-aus-syrien-gestrandet-in-gaza

„Nichts für schwache Nerven war auch die letzte Etappe ihrer Flucht vor dem syrischen Bürgerkrieg. Nach der Landung in Kairo und ermüdender Fahrt in einem klapprigen Taxi quer durch den Sinai mussten Odai, sein Bruder und die Tante noch mal allen Mut zusammen kratzen, um in einen kilometerlangen, stickigen Tunnel nach Gaza zu kriechen. Wie das war? ‚Schrecklich‘, flüstert Odai, ein schmächtiger, schüchterne Junge, und verstummt.

Es ist seine Tante Amna, die erzählt, was Odai in seinen jungen Jahren noch alles mehr erfahren hat: den Verlust des Vaters, der an einem Herzinfarkt starb, den Abschied von der Mutter, die ihn und den vier Jahre älteren Bruder Ahmed im Stich ließ, um mit einem anderen Mann ein neues Leben anzufangen. Und schließlich die Nachricht vom Tod der Großmutter, die bei einem Granatbeschuss in Yarmuk, dem größten palästinensischen Flüchtlingslager in Syrien, starb.

[…] Geblieben sind nur die Ärmsten der Armen. Die Lage in den anderen acht Camps ist kaum besser, fast alle sind zu Kriegszonen geworden. Eine halbe Million Palästina-Flüchtlinge waren in Syrien registriert. Die für sie zuständige Hilfsorganisation UNRWA geht davon aus, dass die Hälfte von ihnen keine Bleibe mehr hat. 70 000 Palästinenser sollen aus Syrien geflohen sein. Anders als syrische Bürgerkriegsflüchtlinge sind sie nirgends willkommen – es sei denn in Gaza.

Die Hamas jedenfalls breitet demonstrativ die Arme aus. ‚Unsere Brüder sollen sich bei uns zuhause fühlen‘, hat ihr Vizeminister Ghasi Hamad die Devise ausgegeben. Odai und die anderen Flüchtlingskinder besuchen auch wieder eine Schule. ‚Die Leute sind wirklich nett, sie haben wenig, aber helfen uns aus, soweit sie können‘, berichtet Kamilia Abu Schkaim (52), die mit ihren sechs Kindern schon im Sommer 2012, als im Yarmuk-Camp die Kämpfe anfingen, in den Gazastreifen geflohen ist. In ihrem Fall war das einfach. Die Ägypter ließen sie, ohne allzu viel nachzufragen, über die Grenze nach Rafah. Flüchtlingsfamilien schiebt man überall gerne ab.

Gaza war ja auch ihr Ziel, weil hier – genauso wie in Jordanien, Libanon und Syrien – die palästinensische Flüchtlingshilfe UNRWA vor Ort ist. Sie hat ihnen Matratzen, Decken, Töpfe und 125 Dollar Wohngeld pro Monat gegeben. Für das Allernötigste ist gesorgt.

Trotzdem kann Kamilia Abu Schkaim sich nur schwerlich an das Leben in Rafah gewöhnen. Sie ist eine emanzipierte, geschiedene Frau, die in Syrien als Journalistin gearbeitet hat und gerne ihre Meinung sagt – alles andere als eine Islamistin.

[…] Den etwa tausend Palästinensern, die aus Syrien in den übervölkerten und unterversorgten Gazastreifen geflüchtet sind, geht es trotzdem besser als ihren Schicksalsgenossen andernorts. Viele der 50.000 Palästinenser, die sich vor dem syrischen Bürgerkrieg nach Libanon retten konnten, wissen nicht wohin.

UNRWA-Mitarbeiter berichten, in den berüchtigten Flüchtlingslagern Sabra und Schatila herrsche eine derart katastrophale Enge, dass Schlafunterkünfte schichtweise genutzt werden müssten. Auf der untersten Stufe der Flüchtlingshierarchie finden sich auch die 9.000 Palästinenser aus Syrien wieder, die es über die jordanische Grenze schafften.

Nicht mal in das Zeltlager Zaatari, wo derzeit 120.000 Syrer untergebracht sind, wurden sie gelassen, sondern in separate, noch restriktivere Spezialcamps gesteckt. Das Haschemitische Königreich soll aus Sorge um seine ‚demografische Balance‘ sogar palästinensische Flüchtlinge zurück nach Syrien geschickt haben.

[…] Da fragt sich, warum die moderate Autonomieführung in Ramallah nicht mehr zu ihrer Rettung tut. Aufnahmewillig gibt sie sich zumindest. Man habe Israel ersucht, Palästinenser aus Syrien über die Allenby-Brücke ins Westjordanland zu lassen, versichert Mohammed Shtayyeh, einer der Unterhändler in den Friedensverhandlungen. Aber die Israelis wollten diese Menschen in Not nur passieren lassen, wenn sie erklärtermaßen auf ihren Flüchtlingsstatus verzichteten. ‚Eine Bedingung, die wir völlig ablehnen‘, so Shtayyeh.

Es geht um das sogenannte Rückkehrrecht – eines der brisantesten Themen im israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikt. Alle wissen, dass es nur eine pragmatische Lösung geben wird und keine massenhafte Rückkehr nach Israel. Aber am Prinzip wagt keiner zu rütteln, nicht mal im Angesicht von Lebensgefahr.“ (Qantara.de, 2013)

·      BBC News: Gaza fighters head to Syria as refugees flow in, 15. Dezember 2013

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-25362202#

„UNRWA is now supporting 1,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria in the Gaza Strip. They are entitled to the same benefits and services as refugees who were already based in Gaza. However, recent arrivals have found out fast that Gaza is a tough place to live. There are high rates of poverty and unemployment in the small, overcrowded coastal strip. Tight border restrictions are imposed by Israel and Egypt. In the past five years residents of the Palestinian territory have endured two short but intense conflicts with Israel.” (BBC, 15. Dezember 2013)

·      UN OCHA - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor; April 2013, 24. Juni 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1373014734_ocha-opt-the-humanitarian-monitor-2013-05-24-english.pdf

„The two-year old conflict in Syria has had devastating consequences for the civilian population. Among the over 1 million who have fled the country in search of refuge and greater safety elsewhere, are approximately 190 Palestine refugee families, comprising approximately 850 individuals, who have come to the Gaza Strip since March 2011. According to in-depth protection interviews conducted by UNRWA in January and February 2013, many of these families have never been to Gaza before. While over 90 per cent of the 30 interviewed families have parents or grandparents who were displaced to Gaza in 1948, nearly 80 per cent moved to Syria after the 1967 war. Nearly 55 years later, these families are suffering displacement and dispossession for a third time, as they flee the conflict in Syria for any location that will give them entry and at least a marginal improvement in security. With few countries willing to take Palestine refugees in Syria (PRS), fleeing Syria for Gaza was the only resort for at least half the families, something they did after all other options had been exhausted. Even reaching Gaza has been a challenge, with the borders of Jordan virtually closed, high visa fees in Lebanon, and entry to Egypt often restricted to those with visas, persons of certain age, or persons flying directly from Damascus – all conditions that apply only to Palestine refugees. Most PRS families live in difficult circumstances in Gaza, and many have said they wish they had stayed in Syria. These families have consistently told UNRWA that they were surprised by the high cost of living and the lack of jobs in Gaza, situations they were not fully aware of prior to arriving. Unable to find jobs, very few of the families have secure housing; over 40 per cent of interviewed families have moved multiple times since arriving in Gaza. A high number of families mentioned experiencing distressing and traumatic events in Syria, including detention and imprisonment, torture, sexual assault, injury and witnessing attacks. These traumas were exacerbated by the eight days of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed actors in November 2012. Children and their parents have also frequently mentioned that adjusting to the culture of the Gaza Strip has been difficult. UNRWA provides PRS with assistance equal to that of other Palestine refugee families in Gaza. Children are eligible to attend UNRWA schools, even if they do not have school certificates from Syria. PRS are eligible to receive health care at UNRWA’s 21 health centers in Gaza, and psycho-social counselors at schools, health centers and relief offices are providing counseling and support. Many families have received emergency nonfood items such as blankets, mattresses, plastic sheeting, etc. All PRS will be assessed by UNRWA’s poverty survey to determine their eligibility for food assistance.” (UN OCHA, 24. Juni 2013)

·      IRIN - Integrated Regional Information Network: Becoming refugees once more: Palestinians from Syria return to Gaza, 14. Februar 2013

http://www.irinnews.org/fr/report/97474/becoming-refugees-once-more-palestinians-from-syria-return-to-gaza

„Dweik, his wife and child are among some 150 families who have returned to Gaza from Syria, according to the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (begun by a number of Palestinian figures and NGOs in response to the flight of refugees from Syria). Of those, 154 people have registered with the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).

[…] But the return to Gaza is particularly challenging, according to UNRWA’s head of operations in Gaza Robert Turner. ‘We don't expect a significant number of returning refugees because of the difficulties reaching the Strip,’ he told IRIN. In December, following a heavy round of shelling in Yarmouk, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to help Palestinian refugees in Syria to return to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). But ‘nothing changed’, Adnan Abu Hasna, of UNRWA’s communication division in Gaza, told IRIN. Gazans who wish to cross through the Egyptian border require proper travel documents, and Egyptian officials are reportedly subjecting Gazans returning from Syria through Egypt to ‘profound security examinations’. […] When Faragallah Abu Jarad, who lived in a Palestinian camp in Dera’a for more than three decades, was forced to leave Syria with his family of 11, he and his two sons ended up in an Egyptian prison for one month where he was subjected to questioning before he was allowed to return to Gaza, he told IRIN. Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing also denied Dweik entrance to Gaza because he did not have a proper visa or permission. The only way in was through a network of illegal underground tunnels connecting Gaza and Egypt.

[…] But these Palestinians are returning to a place that can offer little in the form of security or opportunity. After Dweik’s tortuous journey and an attempt to rebuild a life in Gaza, war hit again - and right next door. The eight-day Israeli offensive on Gaza last November brought memories of violence flooding back. Dweik lives near a government building that was pounded in an Israeli attack. […] Abu Jarad said he is glad his family is safe; but finds it hard to cope with Gaza’s high unemployment and poverty levels. The returnees also have access to the same UNRWA-provided services as all other Palestinian refugees in Gaza: food, education, health care. They can also apply to UNRWA’s job creation project for six months or one year of employment to get them started, UNRWA’s Abu Hasna said.

A Gaza government official, speaking to IRIN on condition of anonymity, said returnees can seek social assistance from the government, as can any other resident of Gaza. But he said it would be very difficult, not only politically, but also logistically and financially, for Gaza to take in a large number of Palestinian refugees from Syria who were not originally residents of Gaza.” (IRIN, 14. /span>Februar 2013)

 

Quellen: (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 13. Mai 2014)

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zum Libanon: Informationen über das von der UNRWA verwaltete palästinensische Flüchtlingslager Rachidieh (Rashidieh, Rashidiya): Lage um das Jahr 1999 und aktuelle Lage [a-8697], 8. Mai 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/275882/405092_de.html

·      AFP - Agence France-Presse: Lebanon all but bars Palestinians fleeing Syria, 9. Mai 2014 (veröffentlich auf Reliefweb)

http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/lebanon-all-bars-palestinians-fleeing-syria

·      AI - Amnesty International: Amnesty International Report 2013 - Zur weltweiten Lage der Menschenrechte - Lebanon, 23. Mai 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/247991/374145_de.html

·      Asharq al-Awsat: Attempt to secure return of Palestinian refugees in Syria fails, 13. Juli 2013

http://www.aawsat.net/2013/07/article55309528

·      BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights: E-Mail-Auskunft, 12. Mai 2014

·      BBC News: Gaza fighters head to Syria as refugees flow in, 15. Dezember 2013

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-25362202#

·      BBC News: Syrian refugees fear permanent exile in Lebanon's camps, 3. April 2014

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26816043#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

·      ICG - International Crisis Group: Too Close For Comfort: Syrians in Lebanon, 13. Mai 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1370523364_141-too-close-for-comfort-syrians-in-lebanon.pdf

·      IRIN - Integrated Regional Information Network: Becoming refugees once more: Palestinians from Syria return to Gaza, 14. Februar 2013

http://www.irinnews.org/fr/report/97474/becoming-refugees-once-more-palestinians-from-syria-return-to-gaza

·      Qantara.de: Gestrandet in Gaza (Autorin: Inge Günther), 2013

http://de.qantara.de/content/buergerkriegsfluechtlinge-aus-syrien-gestrandet-in-gaza

·      Reuters: Abbas asks Israel to let in Palestinians fleeing Syria, 25. Jänner 2013

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-israel-palestinians-refugees-idUSBRE90O13R20130125

·      SFH - Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe: Jordanien, Libanon: Syrische Flüchtlinge. Auskunft der SFH-Länderanalyse (Autorin: Alexandra Geiser), 26. September 2012

http://www.fluechtlingshilfe.ch/herkunftslaender/arabia/libanon/jordanien-libanon-syrische-fluechtlinge/at_download/file

·      The Times of Israel: Hamas, PA reportedly refuse to take in Palestinian refugees from Syria, 3. Jänner 2013

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-pa-reportedly-refuse-to-take-in-palestinian-refugees-from-syria/#ixzz31awPpaEq

·      UN OCHA - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor; April 2013, 24. Juni 2013 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1373014734_ocha-opt-the-humanitarian-monitor-2013-05-24-english.pdf

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: PRS in Lebanon, März 2014a

http://www.unrwa.org/prs-jordan

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: PRS in Lebanon, März 2014b

http://www.unrwa.org/prs-lebanon

·      UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: Syria Regional Crisis Response Update 74, 4. Mai 2014

http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/emergency-reports/syria-regional-crisis-response-update-74

·      USDOS - US Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2013 - Jordan, 27. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270743/400852_de.html

·      USDOS - US Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2013 - Lebanon, 27. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270765/400871_de.html