US grants Lebanese citizens protected status amid Hezbollah-Israel conflict

Measures expected to benefit about 11,000 Lebanese citizens and 1,740 students

Certain Lebanese citizens already in the US as of October 16 can apply for temporary protected status but those arriving after then are excluded. Getty Images

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The US on Thursday announced it was authorising certain Lebanese citizens in the country to remain for an additional 18 months and apply for work permits, as Israel's invasion of Lebanon continues.

The immigration relief measures, which include a new temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Lebanon and further details on the deferred enforced departure (DED) programme initially unveiled in July, are expected to benefit about 11,000 Lebanese citizens and 1,740 students.

Certain Lebanese citizens who were already in the US as of October 16 can apply for TPS but those arriving after that date are excluded from the programme, the Department of Homeland Security said.

“These are important protections extended by the Biden-Harris administration and a welcome reprieve for the thousands of Lebanese nationals currently in the country because of the continuing war on Lebanon by Israel,” American-Arab anti-discrimination committee national executive director Abed Ayoub said. "Ensuring that Lebanese nationals in the US are not forced back into harm's way is an important step.”

In a separate move, Homeland Security has offered special student relief for Lebanese F-1 visa holders, allowing them to seek work authorisation, increase their hours of employment while school is in session and reduce their course workload without losing their status.

Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon this month and has pounded the capital Beirut with air strikes as it pursues Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel and Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas, had been engaging in tit-for-tat attacks since the Gaza war began last year.

At least 2,000 people have been killed in the violence in Lebanon and about 1.2 million people have been displaced.

Jihan Abdallah contributed to this report