ATLANTA: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has requested that the US government designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to its political instability and looming economic meltdown.
The move was co-sponsored by more than 70 civic, legal and religious organizations in the US seeking to protect Lebanese nationals who are presently in the US on non-immigrant visas but would face dire circumstances should they go back to Lebanon under the current conditions.
The letter was sent to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week, who would take such a decision.
It requested the designation status fearing that further escalations and tensions in Lebanon’s fractious and dysfunctional political system might escalate into a regional armed conflict.
Lebanon’s political and economic problems became more acute in the aftermath of Beirut port explosion last year that killed at least 200 people and injured thousands more and devastated the country’s fragile economy.
TPS is a temporary protection that allows people from a designated country to remain in the US 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 armed conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.
The designation lasts 18 months and can be renewed several times. If granted, TPS would allow Lebanese nationals to stay in the United States during the designation period and to legally work.
The letter estimates the number of Lebanese nationals who could benefit from the TPS designation at around 28,500 people.
Among the groups that co-sponsored in this effort are Amnesty International USA, the Arab American Institute, Jewish Voice for Peace, Atlanta Chapter and the National Council of Churches.
Commenting on the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, ADC president Samer Khalaf said: “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.”
Addressing concerns over immigration issues that might arise, the letter said that there is no real risk that such a designation would result in an immigration influx into the US from Lebanon.
“There has also been no indication that TPS designation has encouraged greater, irregular numbers of migration from the designated areas, including when Lebanon has been designated in the past,” the letter said.
“The US has already invested billions of dollars over the past 10 years in Lebanon’s recovery. TPS would strengthen that investment. Lebanon’s stability is also key to the stability of the region, which is within US foreign policy interests,” it added.
Abed Ayoub, ADC’s legal director, told the Arab News that he feels optimistic that the US President Joe Biden would show compassion and grant the request.
“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 US,” he said.