Palestinians refugees in Lebanon want asylum in Canada

Hundreds of Palestinian refugees, waving Palestinian and Canadian flags, are gathered outside the Canadian Embassy in Beirut, requesting asylum in the North American country.

Many among the group are lamenting the deteriorating economic and living conditions in Lebanon and say they want a more dignified life.

The periodic protests outside the embassy on the coastal highway north of Beirut began a few weeks ago, after a crackdown on undocumented foreign labor by Lebanese authorities.

There are tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants in Lebanon. Most of them live in squalid camps with no access to public services, limited employment opportunities and no rights to ownership.

Today’s protesters are also decrying what they say is widespread corruption at the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA.

— AP