All foreign workers without rental lease to leave Burj Hammoud

A mainly Armenian suburb of Beirut has stirred controversy over a decision by local officials to expel foreign workers, with some linking the move to the revolt in Syria and others to sheer racism.The controversy erupted earlier this month when the municipality of Burj Hammud, located east of the Lebanese capital, requested all foreigners without rental leases leave the area by the end of November.
Targeted by the measure were Syrian Kurds as well as other laborers from the Philippines, Sri Lanka and from African countries, who for years have been drawn to affordable housing in Burj Hammud. The majority have no signed rental agreements, a common practice in Lebanon.