Jordan: Information on the rights to which the holder of a two-year Jordanian passport is entitled, and whether the holder of a five-year Jordanian passport that expired in 1991 but was extended for two years has a right to appeal the two-year extension in order to receive a five-year extension
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JOR17518.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jordan: Information on the rights to which the holder of a two-year Jordanian passport is entitled, and whether the holder of a five-year Jordanian passport that expired in 1991 but was extended for two years has a right to appeal the two-year extension in order to receive a five-year extension, 1 May 1994, JOR17518.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad2b2b.html [accessed 27 May 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 Jordanian embassy in Ottawa, a person holding a two-year Jordanian passport is entitled to cross the border from the West Bank into Jordan for visiting purposes only (31 May 1994). Such a person is not a citizen of Jordan since he or she is considered to be a resident of the West Bank who is not entitled to work in Jordan (ibid.). The representative adds that prior to August 1988 the Jordanian authorities issued five-year passports to West Bank residents, but these persons have been issued two-year passports since 1988 (ibid.). The representative adds that holders of two-year passports are not permitted to receive five-year passports (ibid.).
A representative of Middle East Watch in New York maintains that in order to determine the rights to which the holder of a Jordanian passport is entitled, it is necessary to know who the holder of a such a passport is and where that person resides (31 May 1994). The source holds that prior to 1988, when the Jordanian government relinquished its administrative rights to the West Bank, Palestinian residents of the West Bank were issued five-year Jordanian passports. However, since 1988 the Jordanian authorities have issued two-year passports to these residents and to a limited number of Gaza Strip residents working in Jordan. Since it is the policy of Jordan to issue two-year passports to these persons, holders of such passports do not have the right to appeal (ibid.). The representative is unaware of any cases where West Bank or Gaza Strip residents have been issued five-year passports since 1988.
A representative of the British Refugee Council in London provided the following information on the above subjects during a telephone interview on 31 May 1994.
It is important to know the origin and the place of residence of the holder of a Jordanian passport in order to determine the rights to which that person is entitled. Generally speaking, a holder of a two-year Jordanian passport is a Palestinian residing in the West Bank who is not considered to be a Jordanian citizen or a permanent resident. Currently there is no clear "definition" on the rights to which such a person is entitled, since the specifics of each case determine those rights. However, such a person has "some sort" of residence rights.
Since 1988 Palestinian residents of the West Bank have been issued two-year passports only. Prior to 1988 these residents were issued five-year passports that entitled them to full residence rights in Jordan.
A legal officer of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Vienna states that a holder of a two-year Jordanian passport is entitled to cross the bridge to Jordan from the West Bank (31 May 1994). The legal officer maintains that prior to 1988, Palestinians residing in the West Bank were issued five-year Jordanian passports, but that they have been issued two-year passports since then. Although it is not the rule, in "certain cases" a Palestinian resident of the West Bank may still be issued a five-year passport. The representative was unable to specify what criteria currently qualify individuals for such passports, but stated that some years ago Palestinian residents of the West Bank working in the Persian Gulf states were issued five-year passports.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ottawa. 31 May 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
Middle East Watch, New York. 31 May 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
British Refugee Council, London. 31 May 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Vienna. 31 May 1994. Telephone interview with legal officer.
