Thirteen Iraqi refugees who had been detained in holding cells in Lebanon were released today and many more will be released in coming months, thanks to the efforts of Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) partner in Lebanon. With funding from CRS and other groups, the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center has negotiated with Lebanese authorities to release up to 300 Iraqi refugees currently detained because of their illegal immigration status.

"The Iraqi refugees were jumping up and down, hugging each other," says Melinda Burrell, Country Representative for CRS Lebanon, who witnessed the release at Beirut's Retention Center for Foreign Persons in Adlieh at noon today. All the detainees released today were Iraqi men; most had been detained in cells for at least six months, and one as long as ten months. "Just let me feel the sun on my skin," said the first man released from the retention center.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees who fled violence in their home country now live in Lebanon, many without visas. Several hundred have been imprisoned as illegal immigrants, sharing cells with criminals or detained in a retention center in Beirut. Currently, up to 400 Iraqis are detained.

CRS and Catholic partners from France and Italy, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), have provided funding to regularize the status of the detainees and pay visa fees. UNHCR staff provided individual counseling to the men on the morning before their release, reassuring them that they have been granted recognized refugee status. The Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center will provide case workers to document the Iraqis' status and their families' needs.

"This is a major and unprecedented step forward, and will partly alleviate the plight of these refugees living in dreadful conditions in Lebanon," says Najla Chahda, director of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center. "Without CRS' support, this dream would have never come true."

The Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center also plans to create a job-sponsorship program for Iraqis in Lebanon. Iraqis who are legally hired by Lebanese sponsors will not be at risk of arrest.

"Years before the issue of Iraqi refugees became front-page news, social workers at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center were working with compassion and skill to help these families get on their feet once they reached Lebanon," says Ms. Burrell. "CRS is proud to support the Migrant Center's commitment to helping those who are bearing the brunt of the chaos in Iraq."

For photos of today's event, or to schedule an interview with Melinda Burrell or Najla Chahda, please contact Laura Sheahen at (+011) 20-16-553-1643 or via email at lsheahen@eme.crs.org.

###

Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency provides assistance to people in more than 100 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed. For more information, please visit www.crs.org.