| 1967 Displaced Persons Report from Shaml Center conference on “1967 Displaced Persons and Palestinian Residency Issues,” November 18, 1995 In an attempt to coordinate to scattered research efforts on Palestinian residency and refugee issues, the newly established Shaml Center invited academic researchers, NGOs and Palestinian and Jordanian officials to this first in a series of roundtable discussions. 50 Percent of All Palestinians Without Citizenship
Since most of the Arab states follow the policy of not renewing the residency status of Palestinians residing in their territory, a large portion (approximately 250,000) of the 1967 displaced persons do not have a guaranteed resident status anywhere. These people are the first to fall victim to any political crisis in the area. Approximately 50 percent of all Palestinians are without citizenship status. A brief review of the situation in selected countries illustrates the growing problem of Palestinian residency in the region: Israel: the two million Palestinians living in the 1967 occupied territories are defined by Israeli law not as citizens, but as “permanent residents.”
Jordan: to the majority of the two million Palestinians living in Jordan, the Jordanian passport does not convey residency rights in Jordan, but serves as a travel document only. The holders of these passports can not easily obtain visas to other countries, which usually condition the issuing of entry permits on the applicant’s ability to document his/her resident status in the country of domicile.
Egypt used to host tens of thousands of Palestinian students in the past; their number decreased drastically to no more than 1,000 when Egypt raised its university fees. Gazans are permitted transit via Egypt only, if they can document residency in Palestine.
Gulf States: Palestinians are considered temporary foreign workers. Their work permits do not convey any kind of residency rights.
North Africa: The status of Palestinians living in North African countries is defined by special agreements between the governments and the PLO. Their residency rights are subject to unexpected changes related to state policy changes (see for example Libya).
Lebanon: Following the 1982 war, Lebanon has started a series of measures restricting the residency rights of the approximately 300,000 Palestinians living in its territory. Many of them hold Jordanian passports which have expired; expulsion orders have been issued against them. Since 1982, approximately 70,000 left Lebanon for western countries. The Lebanese government has instructed its embassies there not to renew Lebanese visas of former Palestinian residents.
[From a working paper presented by Abbas Shublaq, Director Shaml Center] |
