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Statement

Regarding yesterday’s BIEL incident and the “encroachment” speech on the waterfront

English 3-liner
On May 18, a large number of security forces arrived at BIEL and began relocating displaced families, who had settled there due to the lack of safe alternatives, to a limited area within the same property.
The municipality is estimated to provide between 200 and 300 tents, while approximately 600 families currently reside in the area, with no clarity regarding the fate of those families who will not receive a tent. Meanwhile, many of the displaced Syrians have fled the area, fearing the actions of the security forces.
This event was accompanied by escalating rhetoric claiming that the displaced refuse to move to shelters, and therefore are “squatting” in downtown Beirut, hindering tourism.
In this statement, we clarify some points concerning the rights of displaced communities in safe displacement shelters that they choose and adapt, and the need for the state’s support that prioritizes the safety, security and wellbeing of the displaced communities.

Legal Memo

What Are My Rights During and After Evictions from  Buildings at Risk of Collapse?

In the wake of Tripoli’s building collapse crisis, this legal memo serves to inform residents of the rights guaranteed to them under Lebanese and international law at every stage of eviction and beyond, from prior notice and dignified relocation to guaranteed return, and calls on them to demand these protections both on an individual and collective level.

Petition

Joint Letter to Stakeholders Addressing the Displacement Crisis:

Housing Is a Right That Cannot Be Postponed

Hundreds of displaced families continue to seek shelter in public spaces, under difficult conditions, while other families are forced to negotiate or open vacant doors on their own to avoid sleeping in the …

Statement

Securing the Right to Housing and Return: An Open Letter to Officials on Tripoli’s Building Collapse Crisis

As Tripoli’s building collapse crisis deepens. This letter calls on public officials to ensure that the government’s Emergency Plan measures protect residents from long-term displacement through dignified alternative housing and guaranteed return.

Statement

Open the Empty Buildings – Public and Private- and Apply Rent Control

Thousands of displaced families are sleeping on the Corniche sidewalks, the beach, and in public squares, left without shelter. This situation is a direct result of the government’s shortcomings in its plan to accommodate the growing number of displaced people, exacerbated by Israel’s orders to evacuate more than 80 towns in the south and all of southern Beirut.

We are here to reiterate the following options for effectively responding to the escalating displacement crisis, in light of the evolving security situation and the imperative to guarantee the right to housing, which is being violated on an unprecedented scale during wars.

Legal Memo

How to protect my rights as an old tenant under the new law liberating non-residential lease contracts?

This legal memo aims to clarify the most prominent developments brought by the new law liberating non-residential lease contracts and to answer the fundamental questions that tenants may have during the transitional phase of its implementation.

Legal Memo

How Can I Protect My Rights as an Old Rent Tenant Amid a Suspended Law and Ongoing Crises? A Legal and Practical Guide

Are you an old rent tenant at risk of eviction? Learn how to protect your housing rights under Law No. 2/2017 and navigate Lebanon’s suspended rent system.

Statement

بيان صحفي: ندوة لاستديو أشغال عامة بعنوان “إعادة الإعمار في لبنان: التجارب والدروس”

عقد استديو أشغال عامة، بالشراكة مع المعهد الفرنسي للشرق الأدنى – IFPO، ندوة بعنوان “إعادة الإعمار في لبنان: التجارب والدروس” في الحمرا – بيروت. استضافت الندوة الباحثين/ات والناشطين/ات في مجال التخطيط الحضري منى …

Statement

A Call to Protect Cultural Properties following the Israeli Aggressions on Lebanon

Following the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, which killed thousands of civilians and targeted a large number of villages and towns in the southern and Bekaa regions, in addition to the southern suburbs of …

Statement

WUF12: Disconnecting from Reality in a Region Struggling for Housing Rights

The World Urban Forum (WUF) was created to drive real change in cities by connecting global goals with local action. The WUF12 program appears to have decontextualized the core purpose of the World …

Statement

Security forces threaten displaced women in the Hamra area with violence and eviction from a vacant building

What measures should the authorities take when vacant buildings are occupied by displaced people due to the war?

After the Zionist escalation of civilian homes, Lebanese families were displaced from the Bekaa, the southern suburb and the south, sheltering inside the Hamra Star building on property 70, which had been vacant …

Petition

Call regarding the Use of Public Spaces by Displaced Persons

The statement addresses the issue of displaced persons occupying public spaces due to the ongoing war and a rapid increase in displacement. In the initial phases, many displaced individuals sought refuge in open …