Lebanese Authorities deported me for being of a Palestinian origin
By Anan
Abusereya, The Palestine Chronicle, March 26, 2018
My name
is Anan Abusereya. I am a Romanian citizen and I carry a Romanian passport, yet
I was born in Gaza. I arrived at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport for
the first time on Sunday, March 11, to attend the Fourth Global Convention of
Solidarity with Palestine.
is Anan Abusereya. I am a Romanian citizen and I carry a Romanian passport, yet
I was born in Gaza. I arrived at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport for
the first time on Sunday, March 11, to attend the Fourth Global Convention of
Solidarity with Palestine.
 |
|
Anan
Abusereya is a Romanian of Palestinian origin. (Photo: Supplied) |
However,
the Lebanese security denied me entry to the Lebanese territories. Instead,
they detained me for more than 12 hours, forbidding me form contacting anyone,
including my own family and the Romanian Embassy, and depriving me of access to
a lawyer.
the Lebanese security denied me entry to the Lebanese territories. Instead,
they detained me for more than 12 hours, forbidding me form contacting anyone,
including my own family and the Romanian Embassy, and depriving me of access to
a lawyer.
Later, I
was deported to Europe, with an entry ban that would prevent me from visiting
the country indefinitely, without any legally-binding written or verbal
justification.
was deported to Europe, with an entry ban that would prevent me from visiting
the country indefinitely, without any legally-binding written or verbal
justification.
I handed
over my Romanian passport to the foreign-passports inspector, greeting him in
Arabic. As the latter inquired about my knowledge of the language, I informed
him of my Palestinian origins and my place of birth, Gaza, as the interrogation
went on.
over my Romanian passport to the foreign-passports inspector, greeting him in
Arabic. As the latter inquired about my knowledge of the language, I informed
him of my Palestinian origins and my place of birth, Gaza, as the interrogation
went on.
When the
inspector demanded that I presented my Palestinian documents, he insisted to
question me about papers form Palestine that I did not have, speaking with a
tone of arrogance and hostility, I explained to him that I only use my Romanian
papers and that the only Palestinian document I possessed was a birth
certificate issued by the UNRWA in Gaza, which I was not carrying with me at
the time..
inspector demanded that I presented my Palestinian documents, he insisted to
question me about papers form Palestine that I did not have, speaking with a
tone of arrogance and hostility, I explained to him that I only use my Romanian
papers and that the only Palestinian document I possessed was a birth
certificate issued by the UNRWA in Gaza, which I was not carrying with me at
the time..
In the
end, I insisted impatiently, “I am a Romanian citizen, and this is my Romanian
passport, is there anything wrong with it?” And as that statement seemed to
have insulted the inspector’s pride, he threw my passport with disgust, saying:
“Rejected. Go to the Security Officer.”
end, I insisted impatiently, “I am a Romanian citizen, and this is my Romanian
passport, is there anything wrong with it?” And as that statement seemed to
have insulted the inspector’s pride, he threw my passport with disgust, saying:
“Rejected. Go to the Security Officer.”
In the
Security office, I was subject to interrogation and I was asked to present a
Palestinian birth certificate or at least a digital photo of the document, but
I could not provide one at the time. When I expressed disappointment and
frustration for my detention simply because I was Palestinian, the officer
claimed that other Palestinians had been refused entry for carrying passports
with Israeli stamps on them, as the Lebanese law enacts, but my passport did
not have such stamps.
Security office, I was subject to interrogation and I was asked to present a
Palestinian birth certificate or at least a digital photo of the document, but
I could not provide one at the time. When I expressed disappointment and
frustration for my detention simply because I was Palestinian, the officer
claimed that other Palestinians had been refused entry for carrying passports
with Israeli stamps on them, as the Lebanese law enacts, but my passport did
not have such stamps.
About
half an hour later, a passport inspector came in with a foreign lady to take a
photocopy of her passport. In the presence of the officer and others, he asked
her, “Have you visited ‘Israel’ before”? Worried, she denied. He replied,
laughing, “No, you have”, assuring her that she is not denied, and wishing her
a good stay.
half an hour later, a passport inspector came in with a foreign lady to take a
photocopy of her passport. In the presence of the officer and others, he asked
her, “Have you visited ‘Israel’ before”? Worried, she denied. He replied,
laughing, “No, you have”, assuring her that she is not denied, and wishing her
a good stay.
That
scene made me wonder if the Lebanese security cared about the Lebanese law at
all.
scene made me wonder if the Lebanese security cared about the Lebanese law at
all.
I then
asked to use the phone to have someone get me a copy of the required paper. I
was told that it was permissible and that I only had to wait a bit, but that
never happened. I was later taken, with other individuals, to the upper floor,
and I kept asking about our destination and the decision the security made
regarding my case, but the inspectors never responded.
asked to use the phone to have someone get me a copy of the required paper. I
was told that it was permissible and that I only had to wait a bit, but that
never happened. I was later taken, with other individuals, to the upper floor,
and I kept asking about our destination and the decision the security made
regarding my case, but the inspectors never responded.
I asked
one of the escorts from the public security about the email address I should
send the copy of my birth certificate to whenever it was possible; he then
began to sing and dance with indifference.
one of the escorts from the public security about the email address I should
send the copy of my birth certificate to whenever it was possible; he then
began to sing and dance with indifference.
I was
taken to a cold room and was asked to remain there until a further notice.
Later, I learned it was the place where the security detained deportees. I was
locked up and could not leave.
taken to a cold room and was asked to remain there until a further notice.
Later, I learned it was the place where the security detained deportees. I was
locked up and could not leave.
The place
was completely isolated, with no internet connection or telecommunication, and
nobody knew where I was. They denied me any contact with the Romanian Embassy
in Beirut and refused to provide a written document explaining the reasons for
my denial of entry to Lebanon, my detention or deportation, or any other legal
text justifying the actions taken against me.
was completely isolated, with no internet connection or telecommunication, and
nobody knew where I was. They denied me any contact with the Romanian Embassy
in Beirut and refused to provide a written document explaining the reasons for
my denial of entry to Lebanon, my detention or deportation, or any other legal
text justifying the actions taken against me.
I spent
12 hours in that place among individuals accused of various types of
violations; not even a glass of water was offered to me, so I had to order one
and pay for it myself.
12 hours in that place among individuals accused of various types of
violations; not even a glass of water was offered to me, so I had to order one
and pay for it myself.
When the
organizers of the conference finally found out about the trouble I was in, a
couple of hours prior to my deportation to Istanbul, they contacted the airport
security, which claimed it had been thought that my passport had Israeli stamps
on it.
organizers of the conference finally found out about the trouble I was in, a
couple of hours prior to my deportation to Istanbul, they contacted the airport
security, which claimed it had been thought that my passport had Israeli stamps
on it.
Although this
was not true, I was deported.
was not true, I was deported.
At 3 am
of my second day at Beirut’s airport, I was sent back to Europe. Security
inspectors accompanied me from and to every plane I boarded, and I was
monitored during my journey back to Ireland as if I were a serious criminal.
When I arrived in Dublin, where my journey had first started, the airline
company handed me a document issued by the Lebanese security, stating that I
was now banned from entering Lebanon, indefinitely.
of my second day at Beirut’s airport, I was sent back to Europe. Security
inspectors accompanied me from and to every plane I boarded, and I was
monitored during my journey back to Ireland as if I were a serious criminal.
When I arrived in Dublin, where my journey had first started, the airline
company handed me a document issued by the Lebanese security, stating that I
was now banned from entering Lebanon, indefinitely.
I
contacted the Romanian consul in Beirut only to know that the embassy was not
officially notified about additional procedures regarding its citizens of
Palestinian origin, despite the public security having justified its action
with an alleged law that denies individuals of any nationality, who were born
in the Palestinian territories, entry to Lebanon, except after a prior request
and a special visa.
contacted the Romanian consul in Beirut only to know that the embassy was not
officially notified about additional procedures regarding its citizens of
Palestinian origin, despite the public security having justified its action
with an alleged law that denies individuals of any nationality, who were born
in the Palestinian territories, entry to Lebanon, except after a prior request
and a special visa.
When I
contacted the Lebanese Embassy in Bucharest, the latter denied knowledge of
such a law, but failed to explain why I was denied entry to Lebanon.
contacted the Lebanese Embassy in Bucharest, the latter denied knowledge of
such a law, but failed to explain why I was denied entry to Lebanon.
I would
like to close this testimony by mentioning that my work paper for the
conference included an urge to take action against Lebanon’s racial
discrimination policies against Palestinian refugees and its apartheid laws
which deprive Palestinians of their basic rights, such as the right to work and
ownership, treating them as second-class citizens.
like to close this testimony by mentioning that my work paper for the
conference included an urge to take action against Lebanon’s racial
discrimination policies against Palestinian refugees and its apartheid laws
which deprive Palestinians of their basic rights, such as the right to work and
ownership, treating them as second-class citizens.
At
Beirut’s airport, I experienced a hint of what the Palestinians go through
every day and I believe I have a moral obligation to report it all to you.
Beirut’s airport, I experienced a hint of what the Palestinians go through
every day and I believe I have a moral obligation to report it all to you.
