ADC & Partner Organizations Call for Lebanon TPS Designation

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee on Tuesday August 24, 2021, with the support and endorsement of nearly 100 partner organizations, officially requested DHS Secretary Mayorkas, and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanon.

In light of severe economic collapse, a health crisis, and an unstable political climate, it has become eminently clear that the forced return of civilians to Lebanon poses a threat to their personal safety and well-being.

TPS is a temporary protection that allows people from a designated country to remain in the United States while conditions in their home country make safe return impossible.

The Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS if the country is experiencing ongoing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. TPS allows its beneficiaries to stay in the United States during the designation period and to legally work.

It is a life-saving protection, especially for those who are ineligible for or who have been denied asylum.

The facts presented to the respective government agencies make it clear that the ongoing political and economic instability, humanitarian crisis, and armed conflict in Lebanon have made the country unsafe, and the conditions pose a serious threat to the personal safety of those forced to return.

In the aftermath of the August 2020 Beirut Port Explosion, Lebanon has entered a severe depression, and a crippling humanitarian crisis in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Entry of Lebanese nationals currently poses a serious threat to their health and safety.

According to the World Bank Lebanon’s current financial crisis is likely to rank in the top three most severe crisis’s episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century, and has been categorized as a “Fragility, Conflict & Violence (FCV) State.”

The letter, along with names of supporting organizations, submitted to DHS and The State Department can be read here.

ADC President Samer Khalaf states, “The conditions in Lebanon are grim. The circumstances and facts on the ground make it abundantly clear that Lebanon is not in a position to safely accept the return of its citizens at this time. We call on the Biden Administration to quickly designate TPS protections for Lebanon.”

ADC Legal and Policy Director Abed Ayoub states, “We urge the Biden Administration to do the right thing and designate Lebanon for TPS. Lebanon is on the verge of a complete economic and humanitarian collapse, granting TPS is the morally correct thing to do, and will help provide safe haven to nationals of the country currently in the U.S.”

The ADC Legal Department is providing assistance to nationals of Lebanon in the U.S. who are seeking guidance with their immigration matters. For questions pertaining to this request, or other immigration issues, please contact the ADC Legal Department to [email protected].