Jordan: Information on whether Palestinians issued five-year Jordanian passports after King Hussein's 31 July 1988 declaration on the status of Palestinians in the West Bank are still considered Jordanian citizens and on whether the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement has had any affect on the issuance of Jordanian passports to Palestinians or on their citizenship
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JOR16370.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jordan: Information on whether Palestinians issued five-year Jordanian passports after King Hussein's 31 July 1988 declaration on the status of Palestinians in the West Bank are still considered Jordanian citizens and on whether the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement has had any affect on the issuance of Jordanian passports to Palestinians or on their citizenship, 1 February 1994, JOR16370.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab087.html [accessed 20 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 Jordanian lawyer in Amman who is an authority on Palestinian affairs in Jordan, in theory a Palestinian who is issued a five-year Jordanian passport after 31 July 1988 is considered a permanent resident and citizen of Jordan (21 Feb. 1994). The lawyer added that in practice, however, a Palestinian with Jordanian nationality holding a five-year passport or a two-year passport has a precarious status in Jordan because he/she can be expelled any time for "national security reasons" (ibid.). Although the official reasons for expulsion of a Palestinian holding a five-year Jordanian passport have not been made public, pro-Palestinian political activities and membership in a Palestinian organization (including the Palestine Liberation Organization) are likely to result in such an order (ibid.).
The lawyer reported that to her knowledge the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement has not brought any changes to the status of Palestinians living in the West Bank, and has not affected the issuance of Jordanian passports to Palestinians or affected their citizenship (ibid.). This is because the peace negotiations have not yet concluded (ibid.). For further information on the subject, please consult the attached document and Response to Information Request JOR15463.FE of 12 October 1993, available in the REFINFO database.
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.
Reference
Jordanian lawyer specializing in Palestinian Affairs, Amman. 21 February 1994. Telephone interview.
Attachment
Middle East International [London]. 18 February 1994. George Hawatmeh. "Jordan: Relations with the Palestinians."
