Jordan: Whether a person born in Jerusalem who holds a valid Jordanian passport issued in Amman, Jordan, is a full Jordanian citizen

In a 6 May 2003 telephone interview, the Consular Section of the Embassy of Jordan in Ottawa stated that Jordanian issues two type of passports, one for full Jordanian citizens and one for stateless Palestinians living in Jordan and in the West Bank. Both passports are valid Jordan passports and allow their bearers to travel abroad (ibid.). However, full Jordanian citizens have a National Number which appears in their passports, while the passport issued to stateless Palestinians does not have such a number (ibid.). In a 9 May 2003 telephone interview, the Consular Section of the Embassy of Jordan in Ottawa stated that the National Number appears on the first page of passports issued to full Jordanian citizens, and on the last page of the old passports issued to them before 1998.

The attached 5 February 1998 Jordan Times report, which provides a thorough description of the new passports issued to Jordanian citizens in 1998, states that the National Number appears on the front page of the new passport, rather than on the last page, as it was in the old passport.

Country Reports 2002 states that

Jordanians with full citizenship receive passports that are valid for 5 years. Most Palestinians living in Jordan are citizens and receive passports that are valid for 5 years. However, approximately 150,000 Palestinian residents--most refugees or children of refugees who arrived from Gaza after 1967--do not qualify for citizenship. They receive 2-year passports valid for travel only. Following the country's administrative and legal disengagement from the West Bank in 1988, Palestinians residing in the West Bank received 2-year passports valid for travel only, instead of the 5-year Jordanian passport that they had received previously. In October 1995, King Hussein announced that West Bank residents without other travel documentation would again be eligible to receive 5-year passports. However, the Government has stressed that these passports are for travel only and do not connote citizenship, which only can be shown by presenting one's "national number," a civil registration number accorded at birth or upon naturalization to persons holding citizenship. The national number is recorded on national identity cards and in family registration books, which are issued only to Jordanian citizens.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate 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

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2002. 2003. United States Department of State. Washington DC. < http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18279.htm>     [Accessed 9 May 2003]

Jordan. 9 May 2003. Embassy of Jordan, Consular Section, Ottawa. Telephone interview.

_____. 6 May 2003. Embassy of Jordan, Consular Section, Ottawa. Telephone interview.

Jordan Times [Amman]. 5 February 1998. Jumana Abu Hannoud. "Passport Department Begins Distributing New Format." [Accessed 9 May 2003]

Attachment

Jordan Times [Amman]. 5 February 1998. Jumana Abu Hannoud. "Passport Department Begins Distributing New Format." [Accessed 9 May 2003]