The Lebanese parliament approved Tuesday a bill granting Palestinian refugees certain social rights for the first time in more than 60 years, dpa reported.
The landmark bill gives some 367,000 Palestinian refugees living in 12 camps across Lebanon work permits and severance pay.
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, many of them born in the country, are barred by law from scores of professions and are often confined to the most menial jobs. They are also denied basic rights, such as owning property.
According to United Nations statistics, 60 per cent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are unemployed.
The idea of granting refugees social rights had in the past faced strong resistance, since the move would have implications on the country's confessional balance.
Lebanon's population of 4 million is divided between 18 sects, including Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Christians and Druze, and every community is highly sensitive to anything that could jeopardize its share of power.
The Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon - some of whom fled their homes after the creation of Israel in 1948 - are mostly Sunni Muslims.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt proposed the bill in June, and it has since triggered a heated debate. Some lawmakers insisted Palestinians should not be granted any rights since they do not answer to the state's authority. Others argued that letting Palestinians work and receive social security would place a strain on the economy.
Samir Geagea of the Lebanese Forces, a Christian militia, welcomed the parliament's approval of the proposal, but said Lebanon could not be expected to solve the Palestinians' problems alone.
"This law will not resolve all the Palestinian humanitarian issues in Lebanon, and the government cannot afford any extra burdens," he said.