Life in the Shadows: Palestinians in Lebanon

Decades after migrating to Lebanon, more than 250,000 Palestinians are still denied basic social and economic rights.


In 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to leave their country during the Nakba, the "catastrophe", the founding of the state of Israel.

The majority of Palestinians in Lebanon retain the hope of one day returning home - known internationally as "the right of return". But almost seven decades later, refugee camps have become part of the urban landscape of Lebanon.

More than a quarter-of-a-million Palestinians still live in the 12 UN-registered camps and 42 other so-called gatherings across Lebanon. Lebanon is their home but any chance of becoming a genuine part of the communities they live in is constantly undermined by strict laws "protecting" Lebanese citizens' rights, general safety and wellbeing.