Iraq: Information on whether a Palestinian born on the West Bank who immigrated to Iraq in 1969 with his family and has resided there along with his immediate family (who still lives in Iraq) since 1969 has a right to return to Iraq and on whether this person is entitled to apply for any type of Iraqi travel document
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRQ12279 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iraq: Information on whether a Palestinian born on the West Bank who immigrated to Iraq in 1969 with his family and has resided there along with his immediate family (who still lives in Iraq) since 1969 has a right to return to Iraq and on whether this person is entitled to apply for any type of Iraqi travel document, 1 November 1992, IRQ12279, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acc7a0.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a representative of the Embassy of Iraq in Ottawa, a Palestinian born on the West Bank who immigrated to Iraq in 1969 and has resided there along with his/her family since 1969 is not considered to be an Iraqi national but a Palestinian residing in Iraq; Palestinians residing in Iraq are not granted Iraqi nationality (19 Nov. 1992). The representative states that a Palestinian in the situation described above is allowed to return to Iraq. As a resident of Iraq, he/she is entitled to apply for an Iraqi travel document but not an Iraqi passport (Ibid.).
A representative of the Palestine Mission in Ottawa provided the following information on the above subjects during a telephone interview on 19 November 1992.
Two factors determine whether a Palestinian in the situation described above has a right to return to Iraq. These are his/her status in Iraq and the type of travel document that he/she possesses.
The person concerned is allowed to return to Iraq if he/she possesses a special permit or if his/her family can obtain a special permit for him/her. The government of Iraq issues special permits to Palestinians who are legal residents of Iraq. The Palestinian described above is also permitted to return to Iraq if in possession of an Iraqi passport or an Iraqi travel document which indicates that the person concerned is an Iraqi national or a legal resident of Iraq respectively. The person is eligible to apply for an Iraqi travel document if not in possession of any other type of passport or travel document.
Further, the person concerned is allowed to return to Iraq if holding a Jordanian passport. As a result of a bilateral agreement between Iraq and Jordan, nationals of these countries do not need entry visas if they wish to visit each others' countries. In this case, however, the holder of a Jordanian passport is only permitted to stay in Iraq as a visitor and not as a resident; a special permit is necessary for legal residence in Iraq.
Additional and/or corroborating information on the above subjects is currently unavailable to the DIRB.
References
Embassy of Iraq, Ottawa. 19 November 1992. Telephone Interview with Representative.
Palestine Mission, Ottawa. 19 November 1992. Telephone Interview with Representative.
