Lebanese labor minister Mustafa Bayram issued Wednesday a ministerial decree allowing Palestinian refugees to practice professions that were exclusive to Lebanese nationals.

Previous to the decision, Lebanese law prevents foreigners, including Palestinian refugees, from practicing more than 70 professions. Those include practices such as medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law, editor-in-chief of newspapers, etc. 

According to a statement issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Labor, the decision was taken based on the requirements of the public interest, taking into account the economic situation that necessitated a review of the list of professions exclusive to the Lebanese.

Palestinians born on Lebanese soil and officially registered in the records of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities are to be labeled capable of practicing the aforementioned professions.

The list also includes foreigners born to a Lebanese mother or married to a female Lebanese citizen, in accordance with the conditions for professions regulated by law.

+200,000 Palestinian refugees  in Lebanon

The United Nations estimates that the number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is 200,000. Most of them are distributed among 12 camps and other residential areas. 

The Palestinian parties in Lebanon welcomed the decision, saying they appreciated the step of the Lebanese Minister of Labor, as it expanded the margin of employment opportunity for the Palestinian worker.

"The leadership of the [Palestinian] coalition, along with our Palestinian people, appreciates this important step... It considers it a step in the right direction and at the right moment, in light of the stifling economic crisis experienced by our people in Lebanon," the statement added.