A Palestinian human rights organisation in Beirut has appealed to the relevant Lebanese authorities to solve the problem with Palestinian refugee travel documents, which are still being handwritten, contrary to international standards.
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights — Shahid — said in a statement on Thursday that the appeal came after the International Civil Aviation Organisation called for airlines to stop accepting handwritten documents and passports as of 24 November, as they lack the most basic standards of security and reliability.
“Following the announcement we received hundreds of pleas from Palestinian refugee expatriates demanding that this humanitarian problem be rectified,” the statement said. Shahid warned of the implications of this decision for Palestinian refugees, including the inability to travel on various international airlines.
“It will also result in the refugees’ inability to renew their residency permits abroad,” the group added, “which will cause a lot of confusion.”