Udlændinge- og Integrationsudvalget 2019-20
UUI Alm.del Bilag 135
Offentligt
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COUNTRY REPORT
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI)
June 2020
Palestinian
Refugees
Access to registration and
UNRWA services, documents,
and entry to Jordan
nyidanmark.dk
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© 2020 The Danish Immigration Service
The Danish Immigration Service
Ryesgade 53
2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Phone: +45 35 36 66 00
newtodenmark.dk
June 2020
All rights reserved to the Danish Immigration Service.
The publication can be downloaded for free at newtodenmark.dk
The Danish Immigration Service’s publications can be quoted with clear source
reference.
Front page map: UNRWA,
Where We Work,
n.d.,
url
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United
Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
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PALE S TIN IAN RE F U GE E S - AC CE SS TO RE GI S TR A TI ON W I TH UN RW A, A V AIL AB ILI T Y OF SE RV I CE S,
DO C UME N T S, AN D A C CE S S T O JO R DAN
Contents
Disclaimer .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction and methodology ............................................................................................................... 4
Abbreviations and acronyms .................................................................................................................. 6
Terminology........................................................................................................................................... 7
Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ 8
Background.......................................................................................................................................... 10
1.
Persons eligible to
receive UNRWA’s services
................................................................................ 12
1.1.
1.2.
Palestine refugees and their descendants ...................................................................................... 12
Other groups eligible to registration and services .......................................................................... 13
Married to Non-Refugees (MNR) family members ................................................................. 14
1.2.1.
1.3.
Persons eligible to receive UNRWA services without being registered .......................................... 15
1967 displaced persons and their descendants ...................................................................... 15
1.3.1.
2. Registration and transfer of registration ........................................................................................... 16
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
I fo
atio sto ed i UNRWA s egist atio s ste
...................................................................... 16
Registration requirements for Palestine refugees and their descendants ..................................... 18
Registration requirements for other eligible groups....................................................................... 19
Possi ilit of egist atio fo pe so s li i g outside of UNRWA s fields of ope atio
.................... 19
3. Documents....................................................................................................................................... 21
3.1. UNRWA documents .............................................................................................................................. 21
3.1.1. Family registration card ................................................................................................................. 21
3.1.2. Possibility of obtaining documents online or from abroad ........................................................... 22
3.1.3. Possibility of re-obtaining documents in case they have been lost............................................... 22
3.1.4. Meaning of numbers and codes on documents ............................................................................ 22
3.1.5. Prevalence of document fraud ...................................................................................................... 23
3.2. Other documents .................................................................................................................................. 23
4. UNRWA services............................................................................................................................... 25
. . UNRWA s udget sho tfall
.................................................................................................................... 25
. . . UNRWA s udget
........................................................................................................................... 25
4.1.2. Consequences of the US budget cuts in 2018 ............................................................................... 25
. . UNRWA s o e se i es
......................................................................................................................... 26
4.2.1. Education Services ......................................................................................................................... 26
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4.2.2. Relief and Social Services (RSS) ...................................................................................................... 27
4.2.3. Health Services............................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.4. Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme ..................................................................... 30
. . . UNRWA s P ote tio P og a
e
.................................................................................................. 30
of se i es....................................................................
31
. . E te al fa to s i pa ti g UNRWA s deli e
4.3.1. Security-related issues preventing delivery of services ................................................................. 31
4.3.2. Population growth ......................................................................................................................... 32
4.3.3. Political dimensions ....................................................................................................................... 32
5. Access to Jordan for Palestinians ...................................................................................................... 33
5.1. Entry and re-entry requirements for Palestinians from Jordan ........................................................... 33
5.2. Entry and re-e
t
e ui e e ts fo Palesti ia s f o
UNRWA s othe fields of ope atio
.............. 33
5.3. Entry and re-e
t e ui e e ts fo Palesti ia s f o outside of UNRWA s fields of ope atio e.g.
Algeria and Libya) ........................................................................................................................................ 35
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 36
Consulted sources........................................................................................................................................ 36
Written sources ........................................................................................................................................... 36
Appendix 1: Meeting minutes............................................................................................................... 39
Meeting with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), HQ/Amman ................................................................................................................................ 39
Meeting with the Director-General of Department of Palestinian Affairs in Amman ................................ 57
Meeting with four Western embassies ....................................................................................................... 59
Skype meeting with Professor Susan Akram ............................................................................................... 62
Skype meeting with Professor Oroub El-Abed ............................................................................................ 68
E-mail correspondence with Francesca P. Albanese ................................................................................... 71
Appendix 2: Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................... 77
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PALE S TIN IAN RE F U GE E S - AC CE SS TO RE GI S TR A TI ON W I TH UN RW A, A V AIL AB ILI T Y OF SE RV I CE S,
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Disclaimer
This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology.
1
The report is primarily based on
approved minutes from meetings with carefully selected sources; however, written material is used as well.
Statements from sources are used in the report, and all statements are referenced.
This report is not, and does not purport to be a detailed or comprehensive survey of all aspects of the
issues addressed in the report and should be weighed against other available country of origin information
relevant when addressing issues concerning Palestinians.
The report at hand does not include any policy recommendations or analysis. The information in the report
does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Danish Immigration Service.
Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particular claim to
refugee status or asylum. Terminology used should not be regarded as indicative of a particular legal
position.
1
EASO,
Country of Origin Information (COI), Report Methodology,
June 2019,
url
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PALE S TIN IAN RE F U GE E S - AC CE SS TO RE GI S TR A TI ON W I TH UN RW A, A V AIL AB ILI T Y OF SE RV I CE S,
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Introduction and methodology
The present report focuses on topics related to eligibility to registration and to receive services from
UNRWA as ell as the a aila ilit of se i es i UNRWA s fi e fields of ope atio s. The epo t also
addresses the recent funding shortfall of UNRWA and the implications hereof, as well as external factors
i pa ti g UNRWA s a ilit to deli e se i es. I additio , the epo t add esses the topi s of UNRWA
documents and the possibility for Palestinians to enter Jordan. These topics have been chosen as they are
relevant for asylum cases in Denmark.
This report is a product of a mission conducted by the Country of Origin Information Division, Danish
Immigration Service (DIS), to Amman, Jordan, from 1 March 2020 to 6 March 2020, as well as written
sources of relevance.
The terms of reference (ToR) for the mission were drawn up by DIS in consultation with the Secretariat of
the
Da ish Refugee Appeals Boa d as ell as a ad iso g oup o COI Refe e eg uppe .
2
The ToR are
included at the end of the report (see Appendix 2).
UNRWA has been the main source of the report as the issues relating to eligibility, registration and services
are under the responsibility of UNRWA. The purpose of the report has been to provide detailed information
on these topics. Additional sources have been chosen by the delegation in order to get an external
pe spe ti e o issues elated to a ess a d a aila ilit to UNRWA s se i es as ell as to p o ide
information on access to Jordan.
The delegation consulted nine sources in total, comprising UNRWA, four Western embassies and one
Jordanian governmental authority. The meeting with the Western embassies was held as a joint meeting
with all four embassies present. Additionally, two academic sources were consulted via Skype and one
academic source answered questions in writing.
All sources agreed to be quoted by name and organisation, except for the embassies that all requested to
be anonymous for the sake of discretion and therefore are referred to as Western embassy (A), Western
embassy (B) etc.
The sources consulted were informed about the purpose of the mission and that their statements would be
included in a public report.
Minutes were written from each interview. Care was taken to present the views of the sources as
accurately and transparently as possible. The minutes were then forwarded to the sources for approval,
giving them a chance to amend, comment or correct their statements. All sources approved their
statements. The approved minutes are included as an annex to this report (see Appendix 1).
During the interviews, sources also touched upon topics that are not addressed in ToR. Since these issues
could be relevant to asylum cases, they have been included in the minutes (see Appendix 1) but are not
addressed in the report. Among these topics is the difference between the mandates of UNRWA and
UNHCR.
2
The group consists of the Danish Refugee Council, Amnesty International in Denmark, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Dignity,
representatives of two Christian organisations (Danish European Mission and Open Doors), the National Commissioner of the Police
and the Danish Bar and Law Society (representing asylum lawyers).
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For the sake of reader-friendliness, transparency and accuracy, paragraphs in the meeting minutes in
Appendix 1 have been given consecutive numbers, which are used in the report when referring to the
statements of the sources in the footnotes.
Due to the critical financial situation that UNRWA is currently facing, some of the issues addressed in this
report might change and should thus be monitored periodically and brought up to date accordingly.
The research and editing of the report was finalised by June 2020.
The report can be accessed from the website of DIS,
www.newtodenmark.dk,
and is thus available to all
stakeholders in the asylum processing chain and to the general public.
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Abbreviations and acronyms
CERI
COI
DIS
DPA
DPAR
EASO
GAPAR
MNR
MOU
RRIS
PLO
PRJ
PRL
PRS
RSS
ToR
UNCCP
UNHCR
UNGA
UNRWA
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions
Country of Origin Information
Danish Immigration Service
Department of Palestinian Affairs
Department of Political Affairs and Refugees
European Asylum Support Office
General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees
Married to Non-Refugee
Memorandum of Understanding
Refugee Registration Information System
Palestine Liberation Organisation
Palestinian Refugees from Jordan
Palestinian Refugees from Lebanon
Palestinian Refugees from Syria
Relief and Social Services
Terms of Reference
United Nations Conciliation Commission on Palestine
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations General Assembly
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
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Terminology
The terminology list is for the purpose of clarifying terms used in this report only. Terminology used should
not be regarded as indicative of a particular legal position.
Field:
A o e of UNRWA s fi e fields
of operation, which are Lebanon, the Syrian
Arab Republic, Jordan, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza.
3
UNRWA defi es Palesti e efugee as any
person whose normal place of
residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and
who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict,
and descendants of such persons, including legally adopted children, through
the male line.
Same definitio
as Palesti e efugee , see
above.
Any Palestine refugee who is registered in UNRWA
s
registration system
.
The term Palestinian refugees commonly comprises all persons of Arab origin
who were displaced from the territory of the former British Mandate
Palestine, but also from the Gaza Stripand the West Bank including East
Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967, as well as their descendants.
4
Palestine refugee:
1948-refugee:
Registered refugee:
Palestinian refugee:
3
4
In Danish: Mandatlande
Albanese, F.: 218
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Executive summary
The eligi ilit to egiste a d e ei e UNRWA s se i es diffe s et ee a ious g oups
of Palestinians,
hi h is outli ed i UNRWA s
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI).
Palesti ia s displa ed i
e e egiste ed ith UNRWA as Palesti e Refugees . UNRWA s o e
mandate is to serve the Palestine refugee population. Their descendants through the male line all have the
right to be registered and receive services. Today, this group totals approximately 5.6 million people.
The g oup of
displa ed pe so s a e ot egiste ed ith UNRWA a d thei
ability to receive services
changes over time and between UNRWA
s
fields of operations.
Other groups may also be eligible to register and receive services; however, their eligibility varies over time
and between fields. For example, descendants of women who do not marry a Palestine refugee do not
inherit the right to be registered as Palestine refugees, however, they may receive services.
Registration of Palestine refugees
a d thei des e da ts a take pla e i all UNRWA s fields the
respective individual or by proxy.
Regist atio a also e do e f o outside of UNRWA s fields p o
(e.g. family members who are already registered). Registration as well as any changes to individual
registration information is voluntary. Registration with UNRWA does not imply nor provide legal stay in the
country.
Palestinians registered with UNRWA obtain a family registration card, which is the most central document
issued by UNRWA, since it serves as proof of registration. It contains a family registration number as well as
individual registration numbers of each family member. While most Palestinians registered with UNRWA
hold or can obtain this document, the registration number is more important than the document itself, as
any registered person can be traced with this number in UNRWA
s o li e Refugee Regist atio I fo atio
System (RRIS).
A Palestinian registered with UNRWA may change his/her physical address from one UNRWA field to
another in the RRIS. However, updates
i UNRWA s egist atio data ase a e olu ta , so the sto ed
information might not necessarily reflect the actual situation of a person or family. Therefore, the
registration address often remains the address where the ancestor was first registered.
In recent years, UNRWA has faced a continuous budget shortfall. I
, UNRWA s la gest ilate al do o ,
the US, ithd e its fu di g. UNRWA s fi a ial isis a affe t its ope atio al sta ilit . The ualit of
se i es is dete io ati g a d the u i e salit of UNRWA s edu atio a d health se i es a e at isk.
UNRWA
s elief a d so ial se i es
(RSS) had already been curtailed. Today, RSS only addresses the poorest
of the poor.
UNRWA does not provide physical protection to the Palestinian refugee population. UNRWA does not
manage the refugee camps and has no role in ensuring personal safety in the camps. It is solely operating
from a service-delivery mandate.
External factors, such as regional security-related issues and population growth, as well as relations with
host go e
e ts a d do o s, also ha e a i pa t o UNRWA s a ilit to deli e its se i es. The se u it
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factor is particularly relevant in those UNRWA fields that are currently faced with various levels of conflict,
namely the occupied Palestinian territory and Syria.
Finally, as the fact-finding mission was conducted in Jordan, the report also addresses entry and re-entry of
Palestinians to Jordan. The majority of Palestinians in Jordan hold Jordanian citizenship. However, some
withdrawals of citizenships have occurred over the years. Generally, the Jordanian authorities do not
accept forced returns of Palestinians without citizenship to Jordan.
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Background
Displacement of Palestinians
On 29 November 1947, the UN passed Resolution 181
5
that recommended partitioning the British Mandate
of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. This led to hostilities and the beginning of the forced
displacement of Palestinians.
6
In the aftermath of the establishment of the
State of Israel on 15 May 1948, 700-800,000 of
the approximately 1.2 million pre-war
Palestinian population were expelled or had
fled the fighting, sheltering in encampments in
the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and
Syria.
Another wave of displacement took place
following the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. As a
consequence of the Israeli occupation of East
Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Syrian
Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula,
another 350-400,000 Palestinians were forcibly
displaced. In addition to those who were
displaced, approximately 60,000 Palestinians
who were outside the area during the conflict
were prevented from returning.
7
Map 1: Southeastern Mediterranean
8
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
In accordance with United Nations resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949
, t
he United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established and began operating on 1
May 1950. When UNRWA began its operations, it was responding to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine
refugees. Today, some 5.6 million registered Palestine refugees are eligible to UNRWA services.
9
In the
5
6
UN General Assembly,
Resolution 181(II), Concerning the Future Government of Palestine, A/RES/181,
29 November 1947,
url
Akram, S.,
Palestinian Refugees,
[forthcoming]
7
Akram, S.,
Palestinian Refugees,
[forthcoming]
8
UN,
Southeastern Mediterranean (Map No. 4013),
1 April 2012,
url
9
UNRWA,
Who We Are,
n.d.,
url
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absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee issue, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has repeatedly
renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2023.
10
UNRWA’s
five fields and delivery of services
UNRWA s a date is to p o ide assista e to
the approximately 5.6 million registered Palestinians
currently living in its five fields of operation: Jordan (more than 2 million registered refugees); Lebanon
(475,000 are registered, but with only 180,000 estimated to be residing in the country); Syria (550,000
registered refugees of which an estimated 438,000 remain in-country); the West Bank (800,000 registered
refugees); and Gaza (1.4 million registered refugees out of a total population of 1.9 million). UNRWA
services include education, healthcare, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and camp
improvement, microfinance as well as emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
11
UNRWA funding and US budget cut in 2018
UNRWA is almost entirely funded by voluntary contributions from UN member states and over time,
financial support has been outpaced by the increasing needs of an ever growing refugee population. As a
result, the UNRWA programme budget, which supports delivery of the core services, has been operating
with a large shortfall in recent years (see chapter 4).
12
Historically, the US has been the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA. When the US decided to stop its
funding to UNRWA in 2018, UNRWA faced an unprecedented financial difficulty with a USD 300 million
funding cut (see chapter 4).
13
Current figures of Palestinians
Due to the displacement of Palestinians around the world, no exact figures of the Palestinian population
exist today. However, estimates have been made.
14
By the end of 2018, Palestinians numbered approximately 13 million persons worldwide, of which about 9
million were forcibly displaced. The overall Palestinian displaced population includes 6.7 million 1948-
refugees and their descendants. This figure includes around 5.6 million Palestine refugees who are
registered with and eligible for assistance from UNRWA, and a further 1.16 million refugees who were also
displaced in 1948, but who were not eligible or did not register for assistance with UNRWA.
15
Furthermore, of the 9 million displaced Palestinians, 1.24 million are 1967 Palestinian displaced persons
and their descendants; almost 350,000 are Palestinians internally displaced in Gaza and the West Bank.
16
10
11
UN General Assembly,
Assistance to Palestine Refugees, A/RES/74/83,
13 December 2019,
url
UNRWA,
Who We Are,
n.d.,
url;
UNRWA,
Where We Work,
n.d.,
url
12
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestine: UNRWA Services,
24 September 2018,
url,
pp. 5-6; UNRWA,
UNRWA Launches 2019 Emergency
Appeals and Budget Requirements of US $1.2 billion,
29 January 2019,
url
13
Albanese, F.: 219; UNRWA,
UNRWA Faces Greatest Financial Crisis in Its History Following 2018 Funding Cuts,
9 November 2018,
url
14
BADIL,
Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2016-2018,
[2019],
url,
p. 20
15
UNRWA,
Who We Are,
n.d.,
url;
Akram, S.,
Palestinian Refugees,
[forthcoming]
16
BADIL,
Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2016-2018,
[2019],
url,
p. 21
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1. Persons eligible to receive UNRWA’s
services
UNRWA operates with two forms of eligibility: 1) the eligibility to register with UNRWA; and 2) the eligibility
to receive UNRWA services. While often overlapping, some persons will be eligible to receive services on an
e e ge
asis ithout ei g eligi le to egiste . The latte g oup is efe ed to as o
-registered
pe so s o se i es o l a d i ludes those displa ed i
.
17
Those eligible to both register and receive services can be further divided into two groups:
1)
Pe so s ho eet UNRWA s ite ia to e des i ed as a
Palestine refugee
2) Persons who do not meet these criteria
18
This chapter provides information on the eligible groups, while the registration process and the
documentation requirements for those who are eligible to register with UNRWA are described in chapter 2.
The actual availability of services offered to the different eligible groups has varied over time and between
the fi e UNRWA fields. UNRWA s a ilit to deli e se i es depe ds o its udget as ell as its ope atio al
instructions and rules (see chapter 4 for information on UNRWA
s
budget). The current operational
defi itio s a d ite ia a e outli ed i UNRWA s Co solidated Eligi ilit a d Regist atio I st u tio s CERI ,
which were last revised in 2009.
19
1.1. Palestine refugees and their descendants
The largest category of persons eligible to both register and receive services is the Palestine refugees. They
are defined as persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15
May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.
20
This category of Palestine refugees falls under the provisions in the UNGA Resolution 194.
21
The definition of Palestine refugees used by UNRWA was firstly drafted by the United Nations
Reconciliation Committee on Palestine (UNCCP).
22
In its operational definition, UNRWA added to the
UNCCP definition:
ho lost their ho es a d li elihoods a d ere u a le to retur
. This refugee category is
different from that of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the UNHCR statute. Palestine refugees under
UNGA Resolution 194 are not defined as persons with a fear of persecution who must individually fulfil a
set of criteria to be so defined. Rather, Palestine refugees are defined as an entire population or category
by virtue of fitting within the Lausanne Treaty definition of Palestine nationals.
23, 24
UNRWA: 1, 2, 18
UNRWA: 2
19
UNRWA: 1, 3; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url
20
UNRWA: 5
21
Akram, S.: 166
22
Akram, S.: 167
23
The Treaty of Lausanne helped settle the status of Palestine and the nationality of its inhabitants from the perspective of public
i te atio al la . I a epo t su itted to the League of Natio s, the B itish go e
e t poi ted out: The atifi atio of the
Treaty
of Lausa e i Aug.,
, fi all egula ised the i te atio al status of Palesti e. The eafte ,
Palestine could, at last,
obtain a separate nationality. (Qafisheh, M.,
Genesis of Citizenship in Palestine and Israel,
2010,
url)
24
Akram, S.: 166-167
18
17
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It is possible to submit an inscription application with UNRWA (i.e. applications from persons, whose
ancestor(s) never registered, and who wish to register for the first time) for individuals who meet the
Palestine refugee criteria.
25
However, very few applications have been submitted in recent years, and in
2019, less than ten new registrations were approved.
26
Until 1993, a Palestine refugee woman Married to a Non-Refugee (MNR) man would become ineligible to
receive services upon marriage. Even if she continued to be registered with UNRWA, she would become
ineligibile, as married someone who was not a Palestine refugee and therefore in most cases would have
access to services through his citizenship. Today, she maintains her eligibility to receive services.
27
In the West Bank, the number of MNRs is much higher than in other fields, and it remains challenging for
UNRWA to provide services to this group.
28
Descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are also eligible to register as
Palestine refugees. This right is continuous and passed on to all future generations. Children of an MNR
cannot register as Palestine refugees, but fall under the category of MNR family members (see chapter
1.2.1.).
29
Currently, fourth and fifth generations are being registered as Palestine refugees. The number of
descendants keeps increasing. In 2019, approximately 100,000 descendants were registered as Palestine
refugees.
30
At the end of 2019, UNRWA had 5,629,829 Palestine refugees in their registration database.
31
Pe so s li i g outside of UNRWA s fields of ope atio s a e also eligi le to egiste a d e ei e se i es.
However, the actual access to services is only available inside the UNRWA fields.
32
1.2. Other groups eligible to registration and services
UNRWA has identified specific groups who do not fulfil the Palestine refugee criteria but were determined
to have suffered significant loss and/or hardship for reasons related to the 1948 conflict. Therefore, they
can be registered with UNRWA for the purpose of receiving services. At the end of 2019, these groups
totalled 663,561 persons.
33
Within this category, there are several sub-groups, among which the MNR family members is one of the
largest. This chapter will address issues specific to this group (see Appendix 1 for information regarding
other groups: Non-Refugee Wives, Jerusalem Poor and Gaza Poor, Frontier Villagers, Compromise Cases,
Kafalah Children).
34
25
26
UNRWA: 7
UNRWA: 8
27
UNRWA: 36
28
UNRWA: 37
29
Akram, S.: 176; El-Abed, O.: 215; UNRWA: 6, 8, 32
30
UNRWA: 8
31
UNRWA,
Registered Population Dashboard,
[2020],
url
32
UNRWA: 65, 67
33
UNRWA: 9; UNRWA,
Registered Population Dashboard,
[2020],
url
34
UNRWA: 13-17
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As fa as this atego is o e ed, it is UNRWA s p e ogati e to de ide hat the u ge t eeds of spe ifi
populations are. As such, these groups have to be addressed separately, as they do not fall into the
automatic registration categories of Palestine refugees and descendants, but are based on needs. Including
these groups in UNRWA services entirely depends on whether UNRWA has the funds to provide for them
(see chapter 4).
35
1.2.1. Married to Non-Refugees (MNR) family members
The MNR family members are husbands and descendants, including legally adopted children, of women
who are Palestine refugees. In general, MNR family members are entitled to register and receive UNRWA
services, e.g. education. However, in practice, there are some exceptions to this, which are elaborated on
below.
36
The UNRWA
i st u tio s elated to MNR fa il e e s eligi ilit has ha ged o e ti e. UNRWA
started registering husbands and children of Palestine refugee women in 2006. This was done retroactively,
ensuring that marriages contracted before 2006, as well as children born before 2006, could be
registered.
37
Recently, it has become relevant to look at the registration of the children of MNR children (MNR
grandchildren). While UNRWA is currently addressing the issue, there are no common guidelines at this
point in time and therefore, registration of descendants of MNR children is addressed differently across
UNRWA s fi e fields of ope atio .
38
Services made available to MNR family members also differ across the five fields of operation. As previously
oted, UNRWA s a ilit to deli e se i es depe ds o its udget as ell as its ope atio al i st u tio s a d
rules.
39
In Syria, children of MNRs are not registered, unless the husband is a Palestinian who is not a Palestine
refugee. In case the father is a Syrian citizen, UNRWA does not register the children, and they will not be
eligible to receive UNRWA services.
40
In Jordan, MNR children are registered with UNRWA. Even though Palestine refugees in Jordan (PRJ) have
access to public services, the request for UNRWA services continues to be very high - mainly due to free of
charge services as well as proximity of the service locations.
41
I the West Ba k, as pe field di e to s de isio , MNR hild e do ot e ei e se i es.
42
In cases of divorce, the divorced husband loses the right to registration, however, the children remain
eligible to register and receive services depending on the specific field.
43
35
36
Akram, S.: 168
UNRWA: 10-11
37
UNRWA: 12, 32, 36
38
UNRWA: 12, 32, 33
39
UNRWA: 3, 12
40
UNRWA: 34
41
UNRWA: 35
42
UNRWA: 37
43
UNRWA: 10
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1.3. Persons eligible to receive UNRWA services without being registered
The category of non-registered persons who are eligible to receive UNRWA services consists of several
subcategories of which the largest is the group of persons displaced due to the 1967 conflict or subsequent
hostilities.
44, 45
Other subcategories include exceptional cases, UNRWA staff members and non-registered
persons living in UNRWA camps (see CERI pp. 6-8 for more on these subcategories).
46
The type of services that the unregistered groups are eligible to may vary over time and between fields.
47
1.3.1. 1967 displaced persons and their descendants
The background for UNRWA to provide services to the 1967 displaced is found in UNGA Resolution 2252
of 4 July 1967 and in subsequent resolutions. In the resolution,
UNGA e do sed UNRWA s effo ts to
continue to provide humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis, and as a
temporary measure, to persons in the area who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued
assistance as a result of the June 1967 and
su se ue t hostilities . As this atego is o side ed to e
served on an emergency basis, it is not clearly outlined what the criteria are for descendants.
48
While UNGA Resolution 2252 does not mention descendants of the 1967 displaced , it is intended to mean
all subsequent generations, which is confirmed by UNRWA writings.
49
Since UNRWA is not registering 1967 displaced and their descendants in its registration database, it is
difficult to know the exact number of people in this group.
50
UNRWA does not provide services to all 1967 displaced and persons displaced due to subsequent
hostilities. The authority to serve other populations is delegated to the field directors
UNRWA s
Commissioner-General and the actual provision of services has varied over time and between fields.
51
In
practice however, in some instances it comes down to the staff on the ground deciding whether or not a
1967 displaced or descendant will receive services.
52
The displaced Palestinians in Syria who are not Palestine refugees or descendants currently receive services
because they are experiencing other hostilities. In Lebanon and Jordan, UNRWA is also serving the 1967
displaced and their descendants.
53
With the exception of most 1967 displaced from Syria who left Syria because of the current conflict. They are registered with
UNRWA to e ei e se i es i li e ith Resolutio
, efe i g to su se ue t hostilities . This is the o l ti e
UNRWA started
e o di g pe so s f o the
displa ed pe so s i its egist atio s ste , u de the se i es o l atego UNRWA:
.
45
Akram, S.: 168; UNRWA: 10
46
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
pp. 6-8
47
UNRWA: 20, 22, 98
48
UNRWA: 19
49
Akram, S.: 168
50
UNRWA: 21
51
UNRWA: 20
52
UNRWA: 22
53
Department of Palestinian Affairs: 138; UNRWA: 20
44
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2. Registration and transfer of registration
Persons eligible to register with UNRWA (see chapter 1
a do so app oa hi g o e of UNRWA s
than 60 registration offices found in all five UNRWA fields of operation.
oe
In most cases, people will have their registration address in the UNRWA field of operation where their
paternal ancestors first registered. This does not connote legal residence in the field where the registration
address is. Legal residency is under the jurisdiction of the respective authorities in each field.
54
In 2010, UNRWA started operating the web-based Refugee Registration Information System (RRIS) that
enabled live updates of data of a registered person or family. Updates of information can be made at all
registration offices.
55
The RRIS does not contain information about 1967 displaced. It is possible that some 1967 displaced are
fou d i UNRWA s edu atio o health data ases; ho e e
, their records are not based on verified
identification documents.
56
In 1996, UNRWA started scanning documents electronically. Many of these documents date back to before
1948.
57
In cases where the initial field of registration is unclear, UNRWA might assist asylum authorities
with looking at the original documents in their database.
58
2.1. Information stored
i UNRWA’s
registration system
UNRWA registers data on families and individuals. These are linked in the way that each individual is
registered as belonging to a family.
59
For each family and individual, the following information might be
available in the registration system:
Table 1: UNRWA registration data
60
54
55
UNRWA: 41
UNRWA: 38
56
UNRWA: 21
57
UNRWA,
What We Do
–
Eligibilty & Registration,
n.d.,
url;
UNRWA,
Documenting Dispossession: UNRWA Launches New Refugee
Registration Information System,
9 December 2009,
url
58
UNRWA: 43, 57
59
UNRWA: 39, 77
60
EU and UN,
Expert Group on Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Statistics
—
International Recommendations on Refugee
Statistics,
March 2018,
url,
p. 71
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It is very important to note that not all of the categories in the table will have data attached, as it is not
mandatory to provide all of the above information.
The registration system might contain information about the citizenship of a person (for both Palestine
refugees and MNR husbands) if this information has been provided by the person herself/himself.
However, UNRWA does not verify this information.
61
Any registered family member can request to update the information in RRIS provided that he/she can
provide original documents pertaining to the specific issue.
62
Updates i UNRWA s egist atio data ase a e olu ta , so the sto ed i fo atio
ight ot e essa il
reflect the actual situation of a person or family. Furthermore, there might be a difference between the
addresses found in RRIS and the actual place of residence.
63
UNRWA distinguishes between three types of addresses: 1) registration address; 2) physical address; and 3)
emergency address. The differences between these are described below.
Registration address
Registration address (or registration field) refers to the UNRWA field where the person is registered. In the
vast majority of cases, the registration address would correspond to the field where their paternal ancestor
originally registered.
Persons who were born and lived in Syria their entire life could have Jordan as their residential address if
their father or grandfather originally registered with UNRWA in Jordan.
64
It is important to note that a person might not have legal residence in the country where he/she is
registered, and UNRWA registration does not in any way entail legal stay. Neither does UNRWA have
information about the legal residence of a person.
65
Physical address
The physical address is the place of residence that UNRWA has registered on the basis of information
provided by the person. It may or may not be the same as the registration address. The physical address
can be changed if a person requests UNRWA to do so. However, in several cases, the physical address does
not reflect the actual residence.
66
Emergency address
Following the crisis in Syria, UNRWA introduced the emergency address, which is only available in the
registration system and thus does not appear on the family registration card. This reflects the
pe so s
presence during the emergency response (see chapter 4). A Palestinian refugee from Syria (PRS) would
61
UNRWA: 58-59
UNRWA: 39; UNRWA,
What We Do
–
Eligibilty & Registration,
n.d.,
url;
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration
Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 16
63
UNRWA: 40, 45
64
UNRWA: 48
65
UNRWA: 55-56
66
UNRWA: 45
62
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retain the registration and physical addresses in Syria even if that person is receiving emergency help in
another UNRWA field.
67
2.2. Registration requirements for Palestine refugees and their
descendants
First-time registrations
68
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the American Friends Service Committee initially
registered Palestinians who fled during the 1948 conflict. UNRWA inherited these records and rectified
them after having conducted a survey of Palestinian refugees from 1950-1951. The initial registration
process closed in June 1952.
In 1992, UNRWA opened for new registrations of Palestine refugees who did not register in the initial
period despite being eligible to do so. Until then, only children of fathers who already had registered with
UNRWA were able to register. New registrations of Palestine refugees have been possible since 1992.
69
Ne
egist atio s ust e su itted i pe so at o e of UNRWA s egist atio offi es. A o di g to the
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI), the following documents can be submitted to
substantiate the claim of being a Palestine refugee:
Palestine passport issued prior to 15 May 1948 indicating that the applicant was resident in
Palestine during the period between 1 June 1946 and 15 May 1948
Birth certificate issued in Palestine before 15 May 1948
Marriage certificate issued in Palestine before 15 May 1948
Identity card issued in Palestine before 15 May 1948
Employment certificate issued in Palestine before 15 May 1948
Receipts of water, electricity, telephone, radio, taxes or other official documents indicating
residence in Palestine before 15 May 1948
La d egist do u e ts o e i g p ope t i Palesti e ta o issued the Depa t e t of
Land in Palestine before 15 May 1948
Documents showing registration of close relatives with UNRWA (paternal side only)
Red-Cross registration card issued between 15 May 1948 and 1 May 1950
UNRWA registration Fact Sheet
UNRWA Punch Card (Ex-code)
Any other documents endorsed by an official authority in Palestine before 15 May 1948
70
Des e da ts of a ale ho eets UNRWA s defi itio of a Palesti e
refugee but chose not to register are
also eligible to register as Palestine refugees. In addition to the above documentation requirements, these
descendants would have to prove their relationship with the relevant ancestor through the paternal line.
71
67
68
UNRWA: 46-47; Akram, S.: 181
First-time registrations are here understood as the situation, where unregistered persons who meet UNRWA Palestine refugee
criteria or the descendants of these unregistered persons (through the male line) approaches UNRWA to be registered.
69
UNRWA: 7, 64; UNRWA,
What We Do
–
Eligibilty & Registration,
n.d.,
url;
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration
Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 3
70
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
pp. 10-11
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UNRWA also accepts new registrations if a person has documents from governmental authorities in
Lebanon, Syria or Egypt (for Gaza
72
) that indicates that he/she would have been eligible to register during
the initial registration period.
73
In Lebanon, a person eligible to be registered as a Palestine refugee who wishes to register with UNRWA,
and who did not register during the initial registration process, will need prior approval from the Lebanese
authorities in order to register with UNRWA.
74
Registration of descendants with an already registered paternal ancestor
The documentation requirements for registering a descendant are contingent on age. If the descendant is
less than one year old, a birth certificate or notification of birth (for the West Bank and Gaza) is sufficient.
Older descendants who wish to register would need additional documentation such as personal identity
do u e ts o a pa e t s ide tit do u e t ha i g the des e da t s a e p ese t.
75
In case no birth or identity documents are available, registration might nonetheless take place if a written
attestation explaining the lack of documents can be provided. The attestation should either be from: 1) an
UNRWA camp service officer; 2) two UNRWA staff members;
o
t o edi le
members of the local
community.
76
2.3. Registration requirements for other eligible groups
The documentation required to register an MNR family member is an official marriage certificate for a
husband, an official birth certificate for a child as well as identity documents. In addition, the family
registration card of the Palestine refugee woman should be provided.
77
Special documentation requirements are also found for other registered groups: Non-Refugee Wives,
Jerusalem Poor and Gaza Poor, Frontier Villagers, Compromise Cases, Kafalah Children (for more
information on these, see CERI pp. 14-15).
2.4. Possibility of registration for persons living outside
of UNRWA’s
fields
of operation
A Palestinian outside of the five UNRWA fields who is the descendant of an unregistered person eligible to
register as a Palestine Refugee can submit an application for a first-time registration with UNRWA. This very
rarely happens, and it is both complicated and sensitive. In CERI, the rule is that first-time registrations
should be submitted in person.
78
71
72
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 10
Gaza was administered by Egypt until 1967 (Department of Palestinian Affairs: 131)
73
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
pp. 11-12
74
UNRWA: 64
75
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 13
76
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 14
77
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 15
78
UNRWA: 66; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 15
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An eligible descendant (of an already registered Palestine refugee
li i g outside of UNRWA s fields
of
operation can register by proxy. The proxy can be a family members as well as a lawyer.
79
The descendant must provide original documents that prove the relationship with the registered Palestine
refugee through the paternal line. These documents could be birth certificates or identity cards of the
pa e ts. I additio , photo opies of the des e da t s
passport or residence permit should be submitted. If
the descendant is found eligible to register, he/she can subsequently register his/her family.
80
For UNRWA registration in Lebanon, a person outside of the country who is eligible to be registered as a
Palestine refugee needs a prior approval from Lebanese authorities that can be obtained by approaching a
Lebanese embassy.
81
Registration with UNRWA in a country does not entail a right to enter or reside there. Therefore, it is
possible to be registered with UNRWA without actually being able to receive its services. The registration
could reflect a desire to a link to Palestine.
82
2.5. Transfer of registration to another UNRWA field of operation
It is possible to make a transfer of registration to another UNRWA field. This process should be initiated by
UNRWA in the receiving field.
83
Authorities are in general unwilling to accept full transfers of registration into their countries.
84
The Syrian
authorities also do not accept full transfers of registration from Syria to another country.
85
As noted previously, registered persons can stay in a UNRWA field without having to make a full transfer of
registration to that place (see section 2.1.)
79
80
UNRWA: 60, 61, 65; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 13
UNRWA: 60; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 13
81
UNRWA: 64
82
UNRWA: 67
83
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 17
84
UNRWA: 42
85
UNRWA: 44; Akram, S.: 181
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3. Documents
3.1. UNRWA documents
UNRWA issues documents to registered refugees and other registered persons. Documents are issued upon
request according to the information stored in RRIS.
86
No UNRWA documents, including family registration cards, are issued to the group of 1967 displaced and
persons displaced as a consequence of subsequent hostilities.
87, 88
Although UNRWA issues different documents, this chapter will focus on the family registration card, as this
is the most important document for a person registered with UNRWA.
3.1.1. Family registration card
The family registration card is the central document for a Palestine refugee. The document is also known as
an UNRWA Registration Card since it serves as a proof of registration.
89
The family registration card contains, among other things, information about where a person is registered
(registration field) as well as the physical address (residential address). Updating information in the
registration card is done on a voluntary basis by the cardholder, and therefore, the information is not
necessarily up-to-date. Furthermore, the information in the family registration card relating to the address
does not imply that the person/family have legal residence in the given country. The emergency address
does not appear on the family registration card (for an explanation of registration address, physical address
and emergency address please see chapter 2.1.).
90
The family registration card does not have an expiry date.
91
Transfer or issuing of new family registration cards (e.g. in case of marriage or divorce)
Family registration cards are issued by UNRWA. They will be updated upon request from the individual, for
example in cases of marriage, divorce, births or deaths. The person must provide original documents
pertaining to the specific issue for UNRWA to reflect the change in the registration card.
92
Persons residing illegally in a country, such as some PRS in Lebanon and Jordan, would have problems with
obtaining official birth or marriage certificates. This makes it difficult to update these events with UNRWA
and therefore to have such updates reflected in the family registration card.
93
Normally, one registration card is issued to each family. However, it is possible to have an additional
registration card issued upon request.
94
86
87
UNRWA: 39, 77
UNRWA: 21; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 34;
88
According to a report from Landinfo, an exception to this are unregistered Palestinians in Syria who will have registration cards
f o UNRWA ith the i s iptio se i e o l . This g oup ai l o sists of pe so s a i i g i S ia f o the West Ba k i
and from Jordan in 1970 (Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinske flyktninger i Syria: Identitetsdokumenter,
23 November 2016,
url,
p. 10)
89
UNRWA: 4, 71; Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinske flyktninger i Syria: Identitetsdokumenter,
23 November 2016,
url,
p. 8
90
UNRWA: 40, 47
91
UNRWA: 71
92
UNRWA: 39; UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 13-16;
93
UNRWA: 54
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In some cases, family registration cards can be issued to individuals who normally would not need his/her
own family registration card, for example, if an unmarried son is living in another UNRWA field than where
his parents live. In this case, the family registration card issued for the son would only contain his name.
The physical address would correspond to the field where he had his family registration card issued.
95
In case of divorce, children will be registered in the card of the parent with legal custody. A divorced
woman can have her own family registration card issued; however, she might prefer being included in her
pa e ts a d i stead. The di o ed o a ill e o ed a k to he fathe s fa il egist atio u e . A
divorced man will always have his own family registration card.
96
3.1.2. Possibility of obtaining documents online or from abroad
It is not possible to obtain documents online. However, a person can contact UNRWA from abroad in order
to have a family registration card issued. UNRWA would then send the document by mail to that person.
97
It is also possible to obtain family registration cards by proxy. Both family members and lawyers can act as
proxies. There are no criteria for which family members can act as proxies. The proxy would then receive
the family registration card.
98
3.1.3. Possibility of re-obtaining documents in case they have been lost
In case of lost documents, UNRWA can reissue these upon request. If a person without documents
approaches UNRWA, new documents can be issued once the identity of that person has been established.
This will be done by looking at any other documents the person might have, interviewing the individual and
checking with UNRWA in the original field of registration.
99
3.1.4. Meaning of numbers and codes on documents
UNRWA s egist atio data ase
operates with two types of registration numbers:
Family registration number.
This number starts with ´1-´
Individual registration number.
This number starts with ´2-´
100
A man will retain his family registration number in case of divorce, while a divorced woman will be
egiste ed u de he fathe s fa il egist atio u e . A ido ed o a ill
be registered under her
de eased hus a d s fa il egist atio u e .
101
It is not possible to interpret anything from these numbers, e.g. which field and camp a person is from.
102
94
95
UNRWA: 71
UNRWA: 52
96
UNRWA: 72-73
97
UNRWA: 61, 75
98
UNRWA: 61, 63, 75
99
UNRWA: 54, 76
100
UNRWA: 77
101
UNRWA: 72
102
UNRWA: 78
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3.1.5. Prevalence of document fraud
UNRWA almost never encounters fraudulent UNRWA documents. The family registration cards have
several security features that make them difficult to forge.
103
Professor Susan Akram and the Western
embassies noted that they are unaware of any misuse of UNRWA documents.
104
3.2. Other documents
Palestinians can be in possession of other documents than those issued by UNRWA (for a thorough
overview of documents issued to Palestinians, see the report by Lifos on this topic
105
).
This chapter will provide information on documents issued to the group of 1967 displaced as well as those
displaced as a consequence of subsequent hostilities in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as UNRWA does not
issue documents to this group. This is not and should not be seen as an exhaustive list of documents issued
to these persons. In general, some persons among these groups of displaced have documents issued by the
host governments while others do not.
106
Jordan
The largest group of 1967 displaced in Jordan arrived from the West Bank. They were Jordanian citizens at
that time, and most of them continue to be citizens today. They have the same rights as any other
Jordanian citizen, including the right to a passport.
107
However, there are examples of 1967 displaced
Palestinians who lost their Jordanian citizenship for various reasons and consequently lost their right to
having documents issued.
108
After a period with few examples of citizenship withdrawals, recent years have seen an increase in the
number of people who have had their citizenship revoked. The increase in withdrawals is in many cases
related to people of Jordanian origin residing in Syria but who fled due to the conflict. Upon arrival to
Jordan, they were confronted with the fact that their citizenship had been withdrawn.
109
Among those who had their citizenship revoked were some PLO fighters who fled to Syria and Lebanon
after the Black September conflict between PLO and Jordan in 1970 as well as the families of these
fighters.
110
The people displaced from Gaza in 1967 (ex-Gazans) might possess so-called T-passports that are issued by
the Civil Status and Passport Department.
111
The T-passports are similar to ordinary Jordanian passports
except for their serial number beginning with the letter T followed by a six-digit number instead of the
UNRWA: 80-81
Akram, S. 187; Western embassies: 163
105
Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url
106
UNRWA: 31
107
Department of Palestinian Affairs: 131-133; El-Abed, O.: 195, 203; Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument
(version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
p. 48
108
Department of Palestinian Affairs: 140; Akram, S.: 190; El-Abed, O.: 200; UNRWA: 26
109
Akram, S.: 190; El-Abed, O.: 198-199
110
UNRWA: 50; El-Abed, O.: 199
111
Akram, S.: 177; US Department of State,
Jordan
–
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Reciprocity Schedule,
n.d.,
url
104
103
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Jordanian national number as seen in ordinary passports. Previously, the T-passports were valid for two
years, which has now been changed to a validity period of five years.
112
Until 1988, the Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA) in Jordan issued special cards for those displaced in
1967; however, they do not issue documents to this group anymore.
113
Lebanon
Some 1967 displaced are registered with the Lebanese Department of Political Affairs and Refugees (DPAR).
Those registered with DPAR will have access to the same documents from the Lebanese authorities as the
Palestine refugees, although their travel documents will have a shorter validity period.
114
In addition, there is a group of Palestinians (an estimated 3-5,000 persons) in Lebanon who are neither
registered with UNRWA nor DPAR and who are referred to as non-IDs. Some of the non-IDs are 1967
displaced. According to UNRWA, non-IDs are not recognised by the Lebanese government and thus do not
hold any identification documents; nor do they have any valid legal stay in the country.
115
Other sources
report that some non-IDs might have an identity document issued by the Lebanese General Directorate of
General Security.
116
Syria
The group of 1967 displaced in Syria is generally not registered with the General Authority for Palestinian
Arab Refugees (GAPAR). Instead, some will be registered with the Ministry of Interior that can issue
residence permits to them.
117
According to UNRWA, GAPAR has issued a family certificate to some of the
1967 displaced, stating the date of when they or their ancestors entered Syria.
118
El-Abed, O.: 204; Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
p. 52
Department of Palestinian Affairs: 142; UNRWA: 25
114
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinerne i Libanon: Registrering og identitetsdokumenter,
22 September 2010,
url,
p. 7; Sweden, Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
pp. 61, 65
115
UNRWA: 27; Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinerne i Libanon: Registrering og identitetsdokumenter,
22 September 2010,
url,
pp. 7-8;
Sweden, Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
pp. 61-62
116
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinerne i Libanon: Registrering og identitetsdokumenter,
22 September 2010,
url,
pp. 8-9; Sweden, Lifos,
Palestinier i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
p. 66; UNHCR,
The Situation of
Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon,
February 2016,
url,
pp. 11-12
117
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinske flyktninger i Syria: Identitetsdokumenter,
23 November 2016,
url,
p. 10; Sweden, Lifos,
Palestinier
i Mellanöstern - uppehållsrätt och dokument (version 1.1),
15 October 2019,
url,
pp. 61-62; Austria, BFA,
Country report
–
Syria,
17
October 2019, p. 70
118
UNRWA: 29. For more information on documents issued to 1967 displaced in Syria, see: Norway, Landinfo,
Palestinske
flyktninger i Syria: Identitetsdokumenter,
23 November 2016,
url,
pp. 9-11
113
112
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4. UNRWA services
4.1. UNRWA’s budget shortfall
. . . UNRWA’s
budget
UNRWA operates with two budgets: 1) the programme budget; and 2) the emergency budget.
The biggest budget
is the p og a
e udget Ge e al Fu d , hi h o e s e pe ses fo UNRWA s o e
programmes. Funds for the programme budget are mainly collected through voluntary contributions from
UN member states as well as the EU.
119
To continue its services in 2020, UNRWA requires USD 1.4 billion in
total of which UNRWA will use USD 806 million for its core services.
120
The emergency budget is based on the collection of funds from the donor community through annual
emergency appeals. Emergency operations have been conducted in the West Bank and Gaza since the
outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000 and in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan since June 2012 as part of the
Syria Regional Humanitarian Response Plan.
121
In addition to the planned budget, UNRWA receives earmarked funds from the donor community for
specific projects that donors wish to implement.
122
According to UNRWA, its financial crisis has become chronic since 2015. The budget shortfall has resulted in
services being adjusted to a minimum and fear of not being able to deliver services in the future. However,
UNRWA has funds to deliver its services up until May 2020.
123
In recent months, a number of donors have increased their contributions to UNRWA. At the time of writing,
UNRWA has not officially stated what this means for the remaining part of the year.
124
4.1.2. Consequences of the US budget cuts in 2018
The US has historically been the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA
o e i g ea l a ua te of UNRWA s
budget. In 2018, the US government decided to stop its funding resulting in a budget cut of around USD
300 million.
125
The US funding cuts accelerated a deterioration of services that have become difficult for
UNRWA to fund.
126
119
120
UNRWA,
Core Programme Budget,
n.d.,
url;
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestine: UNRWA Services,
24 September 2018,
url,
pp. 5-6
UNRWA,
UNRWA Launches 2020 Budget Appeal for US$ 1.4 Billion,
31 January 2020,
url
121
UNRWA,
How we spend funds,
n.d.,
url
122
Norway, Landinfo,
Palestine: UNRWA Services,
24 September 2018,
url,
pp. 5-6
123
UNRWA: 86
124
UNRWA,
Major I rease i De ark s Core Co tri utio to UNRWA: US$ 5.5 Millio i
,
5 March 2020,
url;
UNRWA,
Sweden Contributes US$ 49.4 Million to UNRWA,
6 March 2020,
url;
UNRWA,
India Provides US$ 2 Million for the Welfare of
Palestine Refugees,
18 May 2020,
url
125
Albanese,F: 219; UNRWA,
UNRWA Faces Greatest Financial Crisis in Its History Following 2018 Funding Cuts,
9 November 2018,
url
126
Albanese, F.: 219, 224
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The
US udget uts ha e had a di e t i pa t o UNRWA s apa it to se e its egiste ed efugees i its
fields of ope atio s. The US o t i utio se ed to sustai UNRWA s o e a d e e ge
p og a
es that
are essential, especially in the war-torn fields in which UNRWA operates where refugee dependency on
assistance is particularly high.
127
4.2. UNRWA’s
core services
UNRWA is the main provider of basic services
–
education, healthcare and relief and social services (RSS)
–
to a population of around 5.6 million registered refugees. Due to its financial crisis, however, UNRWA no
longer has any working capital, which challenges its ability to ensure the continuity of services from one
year to the next.
128
Trying to maintain universal access to education and basic healthcare may come to an end. Some services
are already curtailed, such as relief, which is now based on a needs assessment. Furthermore, delivering a
high quality of services that meets the needs of beneficiaries rather than only being able to provide some
sort of service is also an issue for UNRWA.
129
It remains challenging for UNRWA to implement required
critical savings due to external and internal factors as will be addressed in this chapter. This may eventually
lead to a point where services cannot continue.
130
UNRWA is currently operating with a planned 10 % budget cut in 2020, and it will be very difficult to avoid a
negative impact on the quality of services
i all of UNRWA s p og a
es.
This will be addressed in the
131
chapters below. In the report at hand, however, detailed information concerning the impact of the
budget deficit on the RSS Programme has been provided for all fields, as this programme is no longer
universal. As such, no detailed information has been provided on education and health services for each
field, except for Syria where the conflict has had a severe impact on the service delivery, including
education and health services.
4.2.1. Education Services
UNRWA s Education
Programme serves more than 530,000 students in 709 schools across the five fields. It
is UNRWAs largest programme, both in terms of staff and budget, and accounts for approximately 40 % of
UNRWA s udget.
132
UNRWA currently makes its educational services available to all registered refugees.
Other categories of Palestinians (1967 displaced and their descendants) can be accepted on an exceptional
basis depending on the capacity during the specific school year.
133
127
128
Albanese, F.: 220
UNRWA,
Programme Budget 2020-2021,
September 2019,
url,
p. 31
129
UNRWA: 87
130
UNRWA: 84-85
131
UNRWA: 85
132
UNRWA: 98; Albanese, F.: 220
133
UNRWA: 98
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Budgetary impact on educational services
After the US budget cuts in 2018, the Commissioner-Ge
e al of UNRWA stated that UNRWA s s hools e e
unable to open for the school year 2018/19. However, additional funding made it possible for UNRWA to
open its schools and ensure that education services were upheld for that year.
134
Because of the budget cuts, UNRWA is currently not hiring new teachers on long-term contracts, as the cost
of this includes, for instance, pension and sick leave.
135
UNRWA is currently hiring daily paid staff but the
number of daily paid teachers continues to increase as the budget shortfall continues. Daily paid teachers
do not receive training or educational support, as they are not considered staff.
136
Another challenge and consequence of budget shortfall is the overall class size. The top 10 % in terms of
numbers of students per class was 45 students before the US budget cuts; this has now increased to 50
students.
137
Children are missing out on school as classes are cancelled due to lack of teachers and no funds
to replace them.
With a continued budget shortfall, UNRWA predicts a reduction in school attendance rates, a decrease in
the number of students passing their exams and an increase in dropout rates, with the consequence that
the number of students completing basic education will decrease. Student achievement levels will stagnate
or decrease.
138
With the planned 10 % budget cut being implemented, it is evident that services will be impacted across all
fields.
139
Availability of educational services in Syria
In Syria, the majority of UNRWA schools are located within the Palestinian refugee camps, which has
esulted i
a of UNRWA s s hools ei g ph si all i pa ted the o fli t,
and many have been
closed. The Government of Syria lent UNRWA 43 schools between 2014 and 2019. According to information
o UNRWA s e site, UNRWA is egi i g to esu e its edu atio se i es i a eas hi h e e p e iousl
inaccessible, including in Yalda, where UNRWA is now operating two government school buildings, and in
De a a th ough ake-shift
classrooms supported by the local community. Major construction, maintenance
and rehabilitation works are needed, however, to restore education services in the 20 severely damaged
UNRWA s hools i Ei el Tal, Ya ouk a d De a a a ps.
140
4.2.2. Relief and Social Services (RSS)
UNRWA s RSS
Programme has historically focused its services on food assistance and was initially based on
de facto universal provision of services to persons displaced and affected by the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
Over the years, UNRWA has implemented a number of changes to its relief services to enable better
targeting of the most vulnerable and has shifted towards a more needs-based approach.
141
UNRWA
134
135
Department of Palestinian Affairs: 136
UNRWA: 99
136
UNRWA: 100
137
UNRWA: 102
138
UNRWA,
Programme Budget 2020-2021,
September 2019,
url,
p. 31
139
UNRWA: 85
140
UNRWA,
Education in Syria,
n.d.,
url
141
UNRWA: 88
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implemented a poverty-based service delivery approach in all its fields and moved from food services to
cash services
–
except for Gaza, where the food delivery services were maintained while cash contributions
were also introduced.
142
Budgetary impact on Relief and Social Services (RSS)
Through its relief services UNRWA is providing a minimum lifeline. UNRWA stated that the cash assistance,
which is currently provided, does not cover the actual need of the beneficiaries, however, and is insufficient
for survival.
143
Availability of cash assistance across the five fields of operation
As a consequence of the budget shortfall, there is a freeze on the intake of individuals who meet the
criteria to receive cash assistance from UNRWA.
144
Following the US decision to stop funding UNRWA in
2018, the cash assistance portfolio available covers two out of three payment rounds for 2020 only.
145
Since 2013, the cash assistance programme in Jordan, the West Bank and Lebanon has been frozen for new
intakes. In Jordan, 60,000 persons receive USD 125 per person per year in cash assistance. In the West
Bank, 60,000 individuals yearly receive USD 130 per person, and in Lebanon, 60,000 people receive USD
130 per person per year.
146
In Gaza, new intakes were accepted until February 2020 when a general freeze was announced. In Gaza,
UNRWA provides a food basket with a value of USD 11-18 per person every three months. UNRWA covers
15 % of food imports into Gaza contributing to stabilising basic food commodity prices.
147
In Syria, all eligible persons in the country are currently receiving cash assistance. UNRWA is assisting
130,000 persons (the most vulnerable, including female-headed households) with 14 USD per person per
month addressing the particularly vulnerable people and to cover at least 50 % of their food requirements.
An additional 280,000 persons receive USD 9 per person per month. UNRWA noted that this in itself is not
sufficient for survival.
148
The Syria cash assistance has been heavily reliant on US funds. While UNRWA covered the gap in 2019, it is
difficult to do so for 2020 without additional funds. The objective is at least to maintain the 14 USD per
month per person for the 130,000 most vulnerable.
149
UNRWA conducted a survey in Syria from 2018-2019. The survey showed that 90 % of the refugees lived
below the poverty line of USD
pe pe so pe da , ithout taki g UNRWA s fi a ial assista e i to
account. At that time, UNRWA still provided cash assistance to the poorest groups amounting to 28 USD
per person per month, which now has been reduced to USD 14 and USD 9, as mentioned above. Taking into
142
143
UNRWA: 89
UNRWA: 90-91
144
UNRWA: 90
145
UNRWA: 90
146
UNRWA: 93-95
147
UNRWA: 92
148
UNRWA: 96
149
UNRWA: 96
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consideration the assistance provided by UNRWA at the time of the survey, 74 % still lived under the
poverty line.
150
4.2.3. Health Services
In 2019, UNRWA continued to deliver free of charge comprehensive primary healthcare services to the 5.6
million registered Palestine refugees while supporting their access to secondary and tertiary care.
151
Other
groups may also have access to some level of healthcare in some fields (see chapter 2).
Budgetary impact on healthcare services
The budget deficit has also had an impact on healthcare services. Retired doctors are not necessarily
replaced. In addition, it is currently not possible to hire any new full time doctors. Instead, UNRWA hires
daily paid doctors, which has a negative impact on the quality of health services.
152
The doctor-patient
ratios will increase and doctor-patient consultation times be reduced.
153
From 2017 to 2018, the number of
medical consultations per doctor per day went up from 78 to 82. On average, the patient consultation time
is three minutes, which include time
fo edi al t eat e t a d diag osis. I
ost ases, ui k fi es a e
154
given in the form of medicine and/or antibiotics.
With regards to secondary and tertiary treatment, UNRWA contracts certain hospitals across its fields
where Palestine refugees can have part of the cost reimbursed. However, such reimbursement will also be
at stake with a continuous financial deficit.
155
As for procurement of medication, non-chronic medications have been procured. However medicine for
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is at risk which would impact more than 270,000 patients receiving
care for NCDs.
156
Availability of healthcare services in Syria
The ongoing conflict in Syria has had a serious impact on the health of the Palestine refugee community.
Access to UNRWA health centres has become increasingly difficult and dangerous; in some cases, violence,
damage and insecurity forced some health centres to close entirely.
157
However, according to the May 2020 COVID-19 Flash Appeal for Palestine Refugees, all 25 UNRWA health
facilities remain operational and continue to provide essential primary health services.
158
While health
services are thus available, this is in limited capacity, however, and not of a high level of quality.
159
Although Palestine refugees in Syria benefit from many of the same rights as Syrian citizens, UNRWA
became their sole healthcare provider, when the government stopped referring them to Ministry of Health
hospitals.
160
150
151
UNRWA: 123
UNRWA: 105
152
UNRWA: 107
153
UNRWA,
Programme Budget 2020-2021,
September 2019,
url
154
UNRWA: 108-109
155
UNRWA: 110
156
UNRWA: 111
157
UNRWA,
Health in Syria,
n.d.,
url
158
UNRWA,
UNRWA Launches COVID-19 Flash Appeal for Palestine Refugees,
2 May 2020,
url
159
UNRWA: 112
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4.2.4. Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme
UNRWA s I f ast u tu e a d Ca p I p o e e t P og a
e is la gel p oje t-funded,
and therefore
overall not directly impacted by the budget shortfall.
161
UNRWA foresees, though, that as a consequence of
the budget shortfall, fewer substandard shelters will be rehabilitated/reconstructed in the immediate/short
term, and UNRWA installations and environmental infrastructure will be inadequately maintained and
repaired and will become dangerous for refugees.
162
In Syria, a number of camps have been destroyed, however, no camp reconstruction is currently being
considered by UNRWA. Minor rehabilitation work has been concluded on schools in camps where access
has been possible and where it has been meaningful to do so.
163
. . . UNRWA’s Protection
Programme
UNRWA does not manage the refugee camps and has no role in ensuring personal safety in the camps.
UNRWA cannot provide physical protection. UNRWA is operating from a service-delivery mandate and
unless this is changed into a human rights-focused mandate, providing physical protection remains
impossible.
164
UNRWA s p ote tio effo ts a e solel p ote tio
ai st ea i g i its p og a
es a d se i e deli e as
well as small scale protection interventions in specific cases
–
e.g. addressing child abuse by referring the
case to a protection provider about the case, when this is possible, and, in very limited cases of
refoulement related to PRS, interventions with government. UNRWA stated that generally, host
governments would not accept if UNRWA facilitated any sort of resettlement of a Palestine refugee to their
countries. UNRWA does not conduct such protection interventions.
165
According to Akram, protection work as well as service delivery is challenged due to lack of funds.
Moreover, protection staff does not always have the clear legal authority to intervene. National authorities
state that UNRWA s a ea of o k is to p o ide se i es a d ot e i ol ed ith p ote tio elated effo ts,
such as deportation interventions where Palestinians have been detained and deportation is imminent.
166
Researcher Francesca P.
Al a ese fou d that UNRWA s
Protection Programme has been strongly impacted
due to the funding cut, as 70 % of the protection budget was funded by the US. This resulted in the
discontinuation of one-third
of p ote tio staff positio s i
. While UNRWA est u tu ed its
p ote tio fu tio ithi the a aila le udget a d efo used st ategi p ote tio p io ities, it is
undisputable that protection has been reduced to the detriment of the refugees.
167
160
161
UNRWA,
Health in Syria,
n.d.,
url
UNRWA: 113
162
UNRWA,
UNRWA Programme Budget 2020-2021,
September 2019,
url,
p. 31
163
UNRWA: 115
164
UNRWA: 116-117
165
UNRWA: 116, 117, 120
166
Akram, S.: 185
167
Albanese, F.: 221
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4.3. External factors i
pa ti g UNRWA’s
delivery of services
In addition to the budget cuts, there are several other factors external to UNRWA that affects its operations
and possibility to deliver its services. These external factors also risk compromising
UNRWA s a ilit to
deliver its services.
4.3.1. Security-related issues preventing delivery of services
Political and securit
i u sta es i UNRWA s fields of ope atio s i ease the Palesti ia efugees
demand for UNRWA, both for its core programmes (education, healthcare and RSS) and in terms of extra
services needed to help the refugees cope with exceptional circumstances.
168
In the occupied Palestinian territories (Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem), the Palestinian
refugees are highly dependent on UNRWA. However, attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the West
Bank/East Jerusalem, and the 13-year-old blockade and frequent military operations by Israel in Gaza have
ha ed UNRWA s se i es.
169
In the West Bank, the quality
of UNRWA s se i es is egati el affe ted the e
atu e of the
occupation, together with the restrictions and limitations it imposes. Most UNRWA beneficiaries live in
areas that are under Israeli military/security control, which are significantly impacted by Israeli policies, e.g.
movement restrictions, home demolitions, and destruction of livelihood.
170
In Gaza, the gravity of the occupation is compounded by the blockade, which restricts movement of goods
in and out of Gaza, and prohibits movement of people across the border.
171
The recurrent hostilities
(2008/2009, 2012 and 2014) have exacerbated the effects of the ongoing blockade, which entered its 13
th
year in the
su
e of
. The lo kade o ti ues to ha e a de astati g i pa t o people s li es,
crippling the economy and rendering the majority of the population dependent on humanitarian aid to
meet their basic needs (see section 4.2.2.).
172
In Syria, UNRWA cannot provide services in the middle of active hostilities, or in areas where access is
severely restricted or prohibited. Even though the Syrian government has recaptured the vast majority of
the country, many areas with significant Palestinian refugee population remain inaccessible to UNRWA.
173
About two-thirds of the PRS community is displaced, and the majority live in the Damascus area. Three
camps have been completely destroyed and one informal camp (Yarmouk) is not accessible without
permits.
174
The gove
e t e e ises i di e t o t ols o e UNRWA s ope atio s th ough staff e e s,
and some UNRWA staff and their family members have disappeared.
175
Akram stated that the Syrian crisis impacted the ability of UNRWA to deliver services also in neighbouring
countries. Host states have been under pressure as the crisis has continued, and six million people have
fled to neighbouring states. This has resulted in UNRWA coming under pressure from the host states not to
168
169
Albanese, F.: 230
Albanese, F.: 225, 231
170
Albanese, F.: 232
171
Albanese, F.: 231
172
UNRWA,
Education in the Gaza Strip,
n.d.,
url
173
Albanese, F.: 234
174
UNRWA: 122
175
UNRWA: 124
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expand its services or refugee population. Especially since January 2015, most of the neighbouring states
began to limit the access on their borders. UNRWA then started recording PRS and as a result, they did not
automatically have access to all services.
176
In Lebanon, UNRWA is able to provide services inside Palestinian camps, except when internal fighting
takes pla e et ee fa tio s. UNRWA s i a ilit to
influence the Lebanese government's systems hinders
its service delivery, according to Albanese. The Lebanese authorities do not exert any authority in the
camps.
177
Akram stated that the camps in Lebanon are the most poverty-stricken of the ones UNRWA
operates in, except for Gaza.
178
4.3.2. Population growth
As mentioned in the beginning to this report, when UNRWA began its operations, it was responding to the
needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees. Today, some 5.6 million registered Palestine refugees are
eligible for UNRWA services. The population growth results in an increasing demand of services, which is
not possible for UNRWA to meet without a continuously growing budget.
179
Projections suggest that the total population registered by UNRWA will increase from more than 5.6 million
in 2016 to 6.46 million in 2021.
180
4.3.3. Political dimensions
A tio s of the host go e
e ts a also di e tl o i di e tl i pa t UNRWA s a ilit to deli e se i es.
For example, the Jordanian government decided to increase its salaries for teachers. In return, it is
expected that UNRWA does the same for teachers in UNRWA schools, in accordance with its salary
alignment policy across all fields. This will cost UNRWA USD 40 million a year from 2020 onwards of which
USD 10 million are for Jordan alone.
181
The withdrawal of US funds from UNRWA, and its direct and indirect criticism of UNRWA since 2018, has
fostered a climate of uncertainty, which is damaging both to UNRWA and to Palestinian refugees globally,
according to Albanese. Albanese argues that it diverts attention away from the protracted nature of the
Palesti ia efugee situatio , a d the o fli t o e Palesti e , hi h e ui e a politi al
resolve.
182
176
177
Akram, S.: 181
Albanese, F.: 226, 235
178
Akram, S.: 183
179
UNRWA: 130; UNRWA,
Who We Are,
n.d.,
url
180
UNRWA,
Programme Budget 2020-2021,
September 2019,
url,
p. 4
181
UNRWA: 129
182
Albanese, F.: 229
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5. Access to Jordan for Palestinians
5.1. Entry and re-entry requirements for Palestinians from Jordan
Generally, the Jordanian authorities do generally not accept forced returns of Palestinians without
citizenship to Jordan.
183
For a person who holds a temporary residence permit in Jordan, it will be difficult to return to the country,
as she/he is not a Jordanian citizen. If the person is forcefully returned to Jordan, the person will not be
allowed to enter.
184
A person who is being forced to return will be considered a foreigner and therefore not
eligible for legal stay in the country. If the return is voluntary, and not supported by any foreign authorities,
i.e. the person returning has bought his own return ticket, has a valid travel document and residence
permit in Jordan, he/she can return. However, if a person with legal residence permit in Jordan has been
abroad for a longer period, for instance six to eight months, he/she likely will face problems upon return.
The possibility of returning a person from a European country depends on the relationship of the specific
European embassy with the Jordanian authorities.
185
If the residence permit of a Palestinian without Jordanian nationality is expired, the person cannot enter
Jordan to apply for an extension of the residence permit in the country. Regarding a foreign woman
married to a Jordanian husband, the husband would have to apply for a residence permit for his wife.
186
One embassy stated, that the airlines are not obliged to ask the proper authorisations from the Jordanian
authorities to ensure ensure who they returning to Jordan. This should be done weeks or months before by
the Immigration Services of the country wanting to return back the Palestinian.
187
A Western embassy mentioned that it also sees an increasing number of Jordanian citizens who are to be
returned from its country, but the Jordanian authorities do not want them back, if it is a forced return.
188
5.2. Entry and re-entry requirements for Palesti
ia s fro UNRWA’s
other
fields of operation
Some embassies have experienced that the Jordanian authorities have accepted that Palestinians who hold
a T-passport (see chapter 3.2.) can return, while others have experienced that it is not possible. The return
of Palestinians with a T-passport would have to be a voluntary return without the involvement of foreign
authorities. A person returning on a T-passport will be refused entry if she/he is deported. Such return
needs approval from the Jordanian authorities.
189
Previously, it happened on a case-by-case basis that some European countries obtained permission for
Palestinians to transit Jordan and Israel to get access to the West Bank and Gaza. Some countries, i.e.
Canada, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the USA, used to have a Memorandum of Understanding
183
184
Western embassies (A, B): 145
Western embassies (B): 147
185
186
187
Western embassies: 146
Western embassies (A): 157
Western embassies (B): 164
188
Western embassies (C): 152
189
Western embassies (A, B): 149
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(MOU) with the Jordanian authorities, allowing assisted returns of Palestinians from the West Bank to
transit through Jordan when returning to the West Bank. The Jordanian authorities cancelled the MOU in
late 2018. Some of these countries are now trying to establish a new agreement, but have not succeeded
so far.
190
In September 2019, the Jordanian authorities issued a note verbale stating that all forced returns of
Palestinians transitting Jordan to enter the West Bank have been stopped.
191
The note verbale also stated
that all returns to the West Bank must go through Israeli airports. Since then, there have been no transits
through Jordan. Whilst the Jordanian authorities have stated that it is a temporary measure, the Western
embassies considered it to be continuing.
192
Regarding voluntary return to the West Bank, see p
e ious DIS epo t: Palesti ia s:
Access and Residency
for Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem .
193
Access for Palestinians from Syria
Palestinians from Syria (PRS) have not been allowed to enter Jordan, except for a few thousand persons
who entered Jordan legally before 2013.
194
All the Western embassies confirmed that legal access to Jordan
for PRS has been denied, at least since 2014-15.
195
In September 2018, the Jaber/Nasib border crossing between Jordan and Syria was reopened to allow
around 15-20,000 Syrians to enter Jordan for security reasons. However, these people were not PRS but
people who held Syrian passports.
196
Several cases of refoulement to Syria of Palestinian refugees fleeing the conflict without the necessary
individualized procedures, including women and girls, have been documented in recent years.
197
Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, cases of citizenship revocation for those PRS who held
Jordanian citizenship have been documented. In most cases, authorities provided no information regarding
the reasons for the revocation.
198
190
191
Western embassies: 158
Western embassies: 150-151
192
Western embassies: 150
193
Denmark, DIS,
Palestinians: Access and Residency for Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem,
May
2019,
url
194
El-Abed, O.: 209
195
Western embassies: 159
196
Western embassies: 160
197
UNHCR,
Submission by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees For the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights' Compilation Report Universal Periodic Review: Jordan,
July 2018,
url
198
US Department of State,
2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Jordan,
11 March 2020,
url
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5.3. Entry and re-entry requirements for Palestinians from outside of
UNRWA’s
fields of operation (e.g. Algeria and Libya)
Palestinians
f o outside of UNRWA s fields of ope atio
are not allowed to enter Jordan for registration
purposes, regardless of their eligibility to register with UNRWA.
199
A Palesti ia ho is li i g outside of UNRWA s fields of ope atio a e egistered
where his/her family
lives, for instance in Jordan. However, this does not grant the person access to the country. UNRWA cannot
facilitate access to any of its fields of operation.
200
199
200
Western embassies (A): 162
UNRWA: 65
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Appendix 1: Meeting minutes
Meeting with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), HQ/Amman
Amman, 3 March 2020
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was
established 70 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 302(IV). UNRWA
provides essential services to Palestine Refugees based on a mandate given to it by the UNGA which is
renewed every three years. In November 2019 the UNGA extended the mandate of UNRWA until 2023.
UNRWA operates in five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza.
Persons eligible to be registered to receive UNRWA services
Eligibility Criteria
1. The mandate of UNRWA has developed over time, as has the operational definitions and criteria for
ide tif i g those ho a e eligi le to e egiste ed i UNRWA s egist atio s ste a d/o to e ei e
UNRWA se i es. These ite ia a e outli ed i UNRWA s Consolidated
Eligibility and Registration
Instructions (CERI), which were last revised in 2009.
2.
The eligi le pe so s fall i to t o g oups: those ho eet UNRWA s ite ia to e des i ed as Palesti e
Refugees, and those who do not meet those criteria
201
.
3. It
should e oted, that the a tual a aila ilit of se i es is depe de t o UNRWA s udget as ell as
other UNRWA instructions and rules. It therefore varies over time and between fields what services are
available and to which groups.
Persons who meet
UNRWA s Palesti e Refugee Criteria
4.
A o di g to the CERI, the g oups a d pe so s listed elo a e eligi le to e egiste ed i UNRWA s
registration system and to receive UNRWA services, as well as to obtain an UNRWA Registration Card
as proof of registration.
5. These are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15
May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine
Refugees, and descendants of Palestine Refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible
to register for UNRWA services.
201
UNRWA,
Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions (CERI),
2009,
url,
p. 3
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6. The registration of descendants through the male line is unlimited as it is carried on through
generations. Currently, the fourth and the fifth generations are being registered as refugees. Today
there are approximately 5.6 million Palestine refugees and their descendants registered with UNRWA
7. UNRWA accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once
they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as
Registered Palestine Refugees.
8. Very few new inscription applications (i.e. applications from persons wishing to register for the first
time) were received in recent years. In 2019, less than ten new registrations were approved. The
number of descendants keeps increasing. Last year approximately 100,000 descendants were
registered as Registered Refugees. The right to registration of descendants through the male line is
continuous and passed on to all future generations.
Perso s ho do ot eet UNRWA s Palesti e Refugee riteria ut a e registered
9. While registered for the purposes of receiving UNRWA services, these persons are not counted as part
of the official Registered Refugee population of UNRWA. They consist of persons who at the time of
o igi al egist atio did ot satisf all of UNRWA s Palesti e Refugee ite ia, ut ho e e dete i ed
to have suffered significant loss and/or hardship for reasons related to the 1948 conflict in Palestine;
they also include persons who belong to the families of Registered Refugees. Approximately 600,000
persons are registered under one of these categories.
Married to Non-Refugee (MNR) Family Members
10. These are husbands and descendants of women who are Registered Refugees and are (or were)
married to husbands who do not fall in any of the categories above. The husbands and descendants,
including legally adopted children, of these women are eligible to register to receive UNRWA services.
In cases of divorce, the divorced husband loses the right to registration however the children remain
eligible to register.
11. Since the operational definition of Palestine Refugees according to UNRWA is transmitted through the
male line, the descendants of Palestine Refugee women are not considered as Palestine Refugees.
Nevertheless, they are able to register and receive UNRWA services.
12. UNRWA started registering the husbands and children of Palestine Refugee women (MNR children) in
2006. This was done retroactively, so marriages contracted before 2006 as well as children born before
2006 also could register. Recently, it has become relevant to look at the registration of the children of
MNR children. Whilst there is no common guideline at this point in time, this issue is addressed
diffe e tl a oss UNRWA s fi e fields of ope atio . The t pe of se i es p o ided to MNR fa ilies also
varies significantly between fields.
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Non-Refugee Wives
13.
These a e o e ho do ot eet UNRWA s ite ia fo Palesti e Refugees a d a e o e e a ied
to Registered Refugees. These women are eligible to register to receive UNRWA services. In cases of
divorce, the divorced woman loses the right to registration.
Jerusalem Poor and Gaza Poor
14. These are persons whose normal place of residence until 15 May 1948 was East Jerusalem or Gaza City,
who lost their work or properties and suffered hardship as a result of the 1948 conflict. Persons who
are currently registered in this category are entitled to receive UNRWA services. Descendants of such
persons through the male line are also entitled to register to receive UNRWA services. Except for such
descendants, UNRWA does not accept new applications from persons wishing to be registered in this
category.
Frontier Villagers
15. These are persons who lived in towns or villages along the 1949 armistice lines in the West Bank who
lost farming properties or suffered other hardship as a result of the 1948 conflict. Persons who are
currently registered in this category are entitled to receive UNRWA services. Descendants of such
persons through the male line are also eligible to register to receive UNRWA services. Except for such
descendants, UNRWA does not accept new applications from persons wishing to be registered in this
category.
Compromise Cases
16. These are persons of Lebanese origin who were working in Palestine but not permanently residing
there until 15 May 1948, who suffered loss of livelihood and hardship as a result of the 1948 conflict.
Persons who are currently registered in this category are entitled to receive UNRWA services. Their
descendants, however, are not eligible to register to receive UNRWA services. UNRWA does not accept
new applications from persons wishing to be registered in this category. It is noted that there are very
few cases within this category.
Kafalah Children
17. These are children who are receiving from a Registered Refugee or Other Registered Person parental
care according to the terms of Islamic Kafalah practice. These children are eligible to register to receive
UNRWA services during the period of their residence in the household of the Kafalah patron until they
reach the age of 18 years.
Persons eligible to receive UNRWA services without being registered
18. Besides the categories of persons who are eligible to register and receive services, CERI also includes
other categories of persons who are eligible to receive services on an emergency basis but are not
egiste ed i UNRWA s Regist atio S ste . This g oup is efe ed to as o
-
egiste ed pe so s o
se i es o l .
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1967 displaced persons
19. This group includes persons displaced as a result of the 1967 hostilities as well as subsequent hostilities.
UNRWA makes its services available to persons in this category in accordance with established practice
and/or host country agreement. In resolution 2252 of 4 July 1967 and in other subsequent resolutions,
UNGA has e do sed UNRWA s effo ts to o ti ue to p o ide hu a ita ia assista e, as fa as
practicable, on an emergency basis, and as a temporary measure, to persons in the area who are
currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 and
su se ue t hostilities . Ho e e , the p e ise ite ia i te s of
descendants are not clearly outlined,
as this category is considered to be served on an emergency basis.
20. UNRWA does not provide services to all 1967 displaced and persons displaced due to subsequent
hostilities. Currently the displaced Palestinians in Syria who are not 1948 Registered Refugees or
descendants are receiving services because they are experiencing other hostilities. In Lebanon and
Jordan, UNRWA is also serving 1967 displaced and their descendants, which is governed by an
instruction, whereby the director of the individual field office at his/her discretion can decide to whom
services can be provided. The authority to serve other populations is delegated to the field directors by
UNRWA s Co
issio e
-General.
21. Currently UNRWA is not recording nor registering these individuals in the registration database, while
the a o a ot e egiste ed i UNRWA s edu atio o health data ases. Ho e e the e o ds i
these databases are not based on verified ID documents of the person and s/he may solely be
registered by name. This also makes it difficult to know the exact number of 1967 displaced and
descendants, who are receiving services from the agency. The 1967 displaced do not have any UNRWA
documents. It is not possible for UNRWA to verify whether a 1967 displaced or a descendant is
receiving UNRWA services.
22. In practice, beyond the authority delegated to each field director to identify other groups that may
receive services, in some instances it comes down to the staff on the ground deciding whether or not a
1967 displaced or descendant will receive services. The protection regime for this population is weak.
23. Within the 1967 category there are also different groups. Some are actually 1948 refugees, that were
displaced to the West Bank or Gaza in 1948 and then were displaced a second time in 1967. This group
are registered as 1948 Palestine Refugees.
The situation for 1967 displaced persons in Jordan
24. Palestine refugees who were first displaced in 1948 and then a second time in 1967 are registered with
UNRWA as Palestine refugees.
25. In Jordan, the Jordanian Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA), were responsible for recording
persons displaced in 1967. As DPA no longer issues documents to this group, the only proof of being a
descendant of a 1967 displaced, would be this original registration certificate.
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26. Most of the 1967 displaced persons hold Jordanian citizenship. However, some later left Jordan for
various reasons and went to Syria or Lebanon where they established their families. This caused some
losing their right to Jordanian nationality.
The situation for 1967 displaced persons in Lebanon
27. There are also 1967 displaced and descendants in Lebanon. Some arrived with the Palestine Liberation
Organisation (PLO) and had no challenges staying in the country until PLO left Lebanon in 1982, after
which these individuals were left without any rights in the country. Others were displaced to Lebanon
as a result of the 1967 war as well as subsequent Arab/Israeli hostilities. Descendants of these persons
seek UNRWA s se i es as the a ot o tai legal sta o a
ights f o the Le a ese go e
e t
o does UNHCR o side it thei a date to assist this g oup. This g oup is efe ed to as o
-IDs
.
There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 non-ID Palestinians in Lebanon. These are Palestinians who
began to arrive in Lebanon in the 1960s and do not hold any type of valid identification documents.
They are not recognised by the Government of Lebanon and thus do not hold valid legal status in the
country
202
.
28. Furthermore, the Government of Lebanon is reluctant to accept new registrations of persons, who may
qualify to be registered as 1948 Palestine Refugees or descendants, whose ancestors are not already
registered with the Lebanese authorities.
The situation for 1967 displaced persons in Syria
29. In Syria, some 1967 displaced may have a family certificate issued by the General Authority for
Palestinian Arab Refugees (GAPAR), stating the date for when they or their ancestors entered Syria.
30. Most of the 1967 displaced from Syria, who left Syria because of the current conflict, are registered
ith UNRWA to e ei e se i es i li e ith Resolutio
, efe i g to su se ue t hostilities . This
is the only time UNRWA started recording persons from the 1967 displaced persons in its registration
s ste , u de the se i es o l atego .
31. In conclusion, it is difficult to say, who and when 1967 displaced have documents from host
governments. Some have and some do not.
MNR eligibility to register and receive UNRWA services
32. In 2006 UNRWA started registering children of Palestine Refugee women married to non-refugees
under the category MNR Family Members. Following this shift, UNRWA now sees cases for registration
of descendants of MNR children. It is a current internal debate, whether descendants of MNR children -
where none of the parents are Palestine Refugees - are eligible to register. According to CERI, in
principle the children could be registered as MNR Family Members. In reality, each field director
follows a different approach.
202
UNRWA,
Lebanon
–
Protection at UNRWA in 2018,
n.d.,
url
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33. At this point in time, there is no clear decision or policy on how children of second or third generation
MNRs should be considered in terms of right to registration.
34. As for MNRs in Syria, the children of MNRs are not registered, unless the husband is a Palestinian who
is not a 1948 refugee. In case the father is a Syrian citizen, UNRWA does not register the children and
they will not be eligible to receive UNRWA services.
35. In Jordan, MNR children are registered. Even though Palestine Refugees in Jordan have access to public
services, the request for UNRWA services continues to be very high in health centres and schools. This
is mainly due to service locations as well as the fact that services, including medicine, are free of
charge.
36. UNRWA noted that the instructions related to MNR eligibility has changed over time. At the outset, a
Palestine Refugee woman would lose the right to services despite being a registered Palestine Refugee,
as she married someone who was not a Palestine Refugee and therefore in most cases would have
access to services through his citizenship. Since 1993, women who are married to a non-refugee
maintain their eligibility for services. Since 2006, their non-refugee husbands and children have also
become eligible to register for services.
37. However, in the West Bank the number of MNRs is much higher than in other fields and it remains
challenging to provide services to MNRs. Since this group can also receive services from the Palestinian
Autho
it it is ot lea hat thei u e t status is. As pe Field Di e to s de isio , MNR hild e do
not receive services in the West Bank.
Registration and transfer of registration
Storage and update of UNRWA Registration Records
38. In 2010 UNRWA began operating on a web-based Refugee Registration Information System (RRIS). The
system currently allows for live updates of registration records from over 60 registration offices across
the five fields.
39. The registration records are organised on a family basis, and the registered persons themselves provide
updates by providing official documents, i.e. marriage certificates etc. UNRWA only registers births,
deaths, marriages, divorce etc., when a registered person approaches the registration offices with an
official document related to the said life event and requests to have the status updated in the database
and in the family registration card issued by UNRWA. The document must be original.
40. Due to the voluntary nature of the registry, UNRWA cannot be considered a civil registry and one
cannot expect the records to be fully up to date. For this reason, there are cases where married
pe so s a e still egiste ed as si gles i UNRWA s e o ds.
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UNRWA registration
Transfer of registration
41. The field of registration in the family registration card reflects the place of registration of the person
ho o igi all egiste ed ith UNRWA. The efo e the ajo it of Registe ed Refugees ha e the field of
egist atio , he e thei a esto s fi st egistered.
That is why one may find cases of Palestine
Refugees o i S ia ith GAPAR do u e ts, ut ho a e egiste ed ith Jo da as field of
egist atio .
42. It is quite complicated to change the field of registration. Such transfer of registration needs approval
from the relevant host government. All of the five countries UNRWA operates in, with the exception of
Syria, allow transfer out of their country to another UNRWA field country. However, it is generally more
difficult for host countries to accept transfers from another UNRWA field in to their country.
43. However, in cases where the initial field of registration of a person is unclear, it is possible to establish
this looki g at the o igi al do u e ts a aila le i UNRWA s data ase.
44. Syria does not accept any transfer of registration address for Palestinian Refugees from Syria (PRS) who
left Syria and moved to another field. This results in some persons living in other UNRWA fields but
ith field of egist atio as S ia.
45. As for the registratio
of the ph si al add ess , this a e ha ged if the pe so app oa hes UNRWA
to change it. Due to the voluntary nature of this, one cannot assume that the physical address is
updated.
46. Following the crisis in Syria, UNRWA established
–
on an emergency basis
–
a third address category:
the emergency address. This address does not affect the physical address of the person, but solely
i di ates the pe so s ph si al p ese e du i g the e e ge
espo se. As su h, PRS ai tai thei
physical address where they normally resided before the emergency.
47.
A PRS ho u e tl sta s i Le a o ould still ha e S ia as the ph si al add ess. This e e ge
add ess does ot appea o the UNRWA egist atio e tifi ate, ut o l i UNRWA s egist atio
system.
48. Children born in Syria whose father or grandfather is a Palestine Refugee in Jordan (PRJ) would be
registered with Jordan as their field of registration, even if they were born and lived in Syria their whole
life. In their family registration card, the physical address would be Syria. It is therefore important to
ot o l o side the field of egist atio , if the e a e ele e ts i the i fo atio sha ed the
individual, that strongly indicates differently.
49. It is possible that the Jordanian authorities have withdrawn the citizenship from the PRJ father or that
the descendants did not manage to uphold their citizenship. These persons could be illegally in Jordan
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in spite of them having Jordan as their field of registration. However, this group would still be eligible to
receive UNRWA services.
50. It is most likely, that PRJs who lived in Syria since the 1970s are related to Black September
203
. Many
faced problems upon return to Jordan. This can range from denaturalization to mandatory weekly
reporting at the intelligence service. This may also have an impact on descendants who in some cases
also can be prevented from working, as they are not granted permission to do so by the authorities due
to the past actions of their father or grandfather.
51. There are about 7,000 PRS without Jordanian nationality most of which have entered Jordan illegally.
After several cases of refoulement, they are now residing in an unwelcome grey zone in Jordan without
being able to apply for residence, employment permits, access to public services and are in a precarious
situation.
52. An unmarried son living outside of Syria whose family is still residing in Syria would have Syria as his
field of egist atio . Ho e e , si e his fa il is esidi g i S ia a d he a ot
have the family
registration card with him, he can be provided with a separate family registration card where his
physical address would correspond to where he actually resides.
53. PRSs, who are residing illegally in Jordan or Lebanon, would have problems obtaining marriage and
i th e tifi ates a d i tu
ill ha e p o le s egiste i g thei spouses o hild e i UNRWA s
registration system.
54. For example, some Palestinians have entered Jordan with fake documents under false names. When
they approach UNRWA it is necessary to establish their real identity to be able to register them. This
can be done in cooperation with UNRWA Syria Field offices. In cases where the identity can be
established, the persons will be registered. This is mostly done in Jordan. In Syria and Lebanon it is
o e halle gi g to egiste pe so s ho do ot ha e offi ial do u e ts, due to the go e
e ts
approaches towards Palestinians.
55. UNRWA does not have information pertaining to the legal stay of a person. Every single case differs and
one has to look into the personal history of the refugee. In cases where it is difficult to establish where
the person is from, UNRWA may be able to assist by looking at the family book and other ID documents
i the i di idual s file. Ho e e , UNRWA
underlined that, for various reasons, it is not possible for them
to assert that the person still has the legal basis to reside in a given country.
56. For example, a person who has Jordanian citizenship may have had it revoked. This is not reflected
anywhe
e i UNRWA s s ste . The efo e the egist atio add ess a ot efle t he e the pe so is
currently residing and where the person has legal stay.
203
A conflict, now known as Black September, breaks out between the PLO and the Jordanian Armed Forces. Thousands of
Palestine refugees are expelled from the country, and the PLO leadership moves from Jordan to Lebanon (UNRWA,
Black
September,
n.d.,
url)
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Verification of UNRWA registration
57. In light of the increase of verification requests, particularly following the Syria crisis, UNRWA is in the
p o ess of de elopi g a egist atio e ifi atio po tal, hi h ill e a aila le o UNRWA s e site.
The aim is to have this portal ready by the end of this year. The purpose is to have all verification
requests sent to this portal which will enable a more streamlined and efficient approach, with the
option of asking further questions if needed once a response has been received. Using this portal will
e ui e that UNRWA s o se t fo is o pleted the pe so i uestion,
before submission of the
request. Currently a number of European countries, including Denmark, send registration verification
requests to UNRWA. During the second half of 2019, UNRWA received 511 verification requests.
Registration issues related to MNR Family Members
58. UNRWA only registers the citizenship of the husband if this is provided by the family. In cases where it
is provided, it may not be up to date and UNRWA is not in a position to verify or confirm if this is indeed
the nationality the spouse holds.
Registration of other nationalities
59.
Ge e all , i the egist atio s ste , the e is a olu
fo othe atio alities , hi h also ould hold
i fo atio elati g to Palesti e Refugees, should the ha e a othe atio alit . The e is a o iginal
atio alit a d a u e t atio alit . Ho e e , UNRWA st essed that this i fo atio ill o l e
available if the individual provides this and the information is not verified by the agency.
Registration by proxy
60. According to CERI anyone who wishes to register, must do so in person. However, it is possible for a
descendant who meets the criteria in CERI and who is unable to meet in person to register by proxy.
The person will need to show original documents, such as an original birth certificate, ID cards of
parents or documents identifying the 1948 Refugee of whom the person is a descendant. Once the
identity as a descendant of a 1948 refugee has been established, the family of the male descendant can
also be registered with UNRWA, provided they present proof of family unity (e.g. marriage certificate,
birth certificates of children). Unregistered descendants of a Registered Refugee living outside of
UNRWA mandate areas can be registered in the same way as above.
61. Once a person is registered, he can obtain a family registration card which will be given to his relatives
acting as proxy. In some cases, UNRWA also sends the family registration card by mail to individuals or
lawyers acting on behalf of the individual.
62. UNRWA cannot facilitate access to any of its fields of operation, in cases where an individual does not
have any relatives to act as proxy.
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63. When asked what family members are able to act as proxies, UNRWA stated that there are no criteria
for this and that it could also be cousins.
64. UNRWA began maintaining Palestine Refugees
egist atio e o ds i Ma
a d the i itial
registration process closed in June 1952. Therefore, in Lebanon individuals who wish to register with
UNRWA who were not included in the initial registration will need prior approval from the Lebanese
authorities before they can obtain an UNRWA registration. Persons residing outside of Lebanon, who
wish to register with UNRWA in Lebanon, can apply for a preapproval through a Lebanese embassy.
The Lebanese authorities also check against UNRWA registrations to see if the registration files match.
Possi ility of registratio for perso s li i g outside of UNRWA s fields of operatio
65. A Palestinian from Algeria, who is the descendant of a 1948 Registered Refugee, with relatives in Jordan
can apply to register with UNRWA through his relatives. As such, an individual living outside of
UNRWA s fields of ope atio a e egiste ed he e he /his fa il is. Ho e e , this does ot g a t
access to the country. It is possible to register with UNRWA and never obtain access to its services
e ause the pe so has o legal ights to eside i o e of UNRWA s fields of ope atio .
66. In the case of a person from Algeria who is a descendant of a 1948 Palestinian Refugee who never
registered with UNRWA, this will be considered to be a new registration and is much more complicated
and sensitive as outlined previously related to new registrations. Again, this is very rare.
67. Most individuals register with UNRWA to obtain services. In the example of Algeria the services are not
available to this person, and therefore registration will mean very little in practice. In these cases,
registration with UNRWA may be done for political purposes to establish a link to Palestine.
Return to former place of residence
68. A person who has lost his Jordanian citizenship would not be let back into Jordan. In Lebanon,
Palestinians will not have any rights and the Lebanese authorities will not let a Palestinian who
previously resided in Lebanon back in once they have left. There are Palestinians with Lebanese
citizenship for whom the situation would be different. Almost all of them were Christian Palestinians,
but a considerable number were Sunni Palestinians and even some Shiites that were registered with
UNRWA coming from border towns.
69. As for Syria today, even if a person has a residential card, it is impossible to think that s/he can return
meaningfully at this point in time. It is impossible to live in Syria and it is simply too dangerous. There
are some cases of PRS who have voluntarily returned. However there is no guarantee that they will
survive and not be approached by and/or taken by the Syrian authorities.
70. Returning to Gaza and the West Bank is also not possible, as the Israeli authorities will not facilitate the
return and let the person in. Therefore there are serious restrictions to go back for each individual once
s/he has left.
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UNRWA documents
Family Registration Card
71. The family registration card is the central card for a Palestine Refugee. Normally, a family will have one
card per family; however, it is possible to request an additional card. The family registration card does
not have an expiry date.
72. As for divorced families, the children will be registered in the card of the parent with legal custody. The
father will generally keep his card with the children included. The mother may upon request receive a
separate card. The children will only be included in her card if they are under her legal custody. Whilst
the mother will obtain her own registration card, she will be moved back to the family registration
number of her father. In some instances, the woman may not request her own registration card but
p efe ei g i luded i he pa e ts a d. A ido ed o a
ai tai s the fa il egist atio u e
of her deceased husband.
73. The divorced husband will always keep his own family registration number and does not have the
optio of o i g a k to his pa e ts egist atio a d, as the fa il egist atio u e follo s the
male line.
Other UNRWA documents
74. An individual can receive a family registration card with only his/her name on it.
Possibility of obtaining documents online
75. It is not possible to apply for documents online. However one may apply for documents by proxy, who
can be a family member or a lawyer.
Possibility of re-obtaining documents in case they have been lost
76. In case a person has lost all UNRWA documents, he/she can approach any UNRWA field to have new
documents issued. The person would be interviewed and will be asked to present any documents that
s/he might have. UNRWA can subsequently issue new documents if the identity is verified.
Registration numbers
77. The UNRWA registration system operates with two types of registration numbers:
a.
Family registration number.
This number starts with ´1-´
b.
Individual registration number.
This number starts with ´2-´
78. Previously it was possible to detect from the old registration numbers which field, area and camp a
person was from. However, this is not the case anymore as these numbers are no longer used as
identification markers and are not updated by UNRWA anymore.
79. There are no registration numbers for the 1967 displaced.
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Prevalence of fraudulent UNRWA documents
80. UNRWA almost only sees genuine documents. The UNRWA representatives have only seen one case
where a fraudulent UNRWA document was provided in relation to a registration verification request.
81. The family registration card consists of a number of specificities that makes it difficult to make fake
copies of it. For example the light blue border on the cards is very difficult to replicate. The border is
changed when a new company is tasked with printing the family registration card. This means family
registration cards from 2011 and 2017 would have different borders.
Availability of Services
Budget implications on services
82. Following the US budget cuts in 2018, UNRWA managed to maintain and even slightly increase the
funding by the end of the year, compared to 2017. However, this was only possible because the Gulf
States donated large amounts of money and Germany provided an additional 100 million USD as an
immediate response to the US cuts and to stabilise the situation. But that funding stream is not
continuing this year. The Gulf States have not pledged their contributions for this year and not all of the
pledged funding for last year has been paid yet. As for the German funding, it remains to be seen if it
ill eet sa e le el as last ea s o t i utio . So
while roll over funds, savings and incredible
austerity measures as well as solidarity contributions saved 2019, the withdrawal of the US funds has
triggered a crisis for the Agency and it remains unclear how UNRWA can sustain itself. By the end of
May UNRWA will not have any funds left and thus will not be able to pay salaries to its staff and let
alone deliver services.
83. UNRWA conducted a forward-looking trend analysis for the budget year 2020, addressing the
increasing expenditures due to population growth and demands for higher salaries for UNRWA staff in
order to maintain a salary level equal to that of host governments. For example, the increase in teacher
salaries in Jordan in 2019 had a serious knock-o
effe t fo UNRWA s sala e pe ditu e e ui e
ents
for 2020. This analysis concluded that it is unlikely that UNRWA will reach the same income level of last
year. The reaction to this has been to introduce a ten percent budget cut in all fields, which is now
being implemented. Taking into consideration however, that the budget for 2020 currently has not
been finalised as not all pledged contributions have been paid out. By May 2020, the currently available
funds will be depleted. This could mean that certain services no longer can be provided by the end of
May 2020.
84. UNRWA cannot decide to close down certain programmes. Host governments are firmly rejecting
UNRWA s auste it easu es a d elie e that do o s ill eed to p o ide additio al fu di g.
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85. Implementing a planned ten percent budget cut in 2020 will be very difficult without having a critical
i pa t o the ualit of se i es. With the ast ajo it of UNRWA s udget ei g tied to staff ost,
any budget reductions will result in some level of staff reductions. Implementing staff reductions is
challenging and may very well lead to unrest, as it has in the past. This leaves UNRWA in a conundrum
where it is unable to make these required critical savings, due to external and internal interests and
pressures. This may however eventually lead to a point where services cannot continue.
86. Since 2015, the financial crisis of UNRWA has become very chronic. Even though the budget shortfall
has resulted in services being adjusted to a minimum, the impression amongst donors and host
governments is that UNRWA will manage as it has in the past. It is not clear however, who will
contribute with the necessary funds this time around.
87. Trying to maintain universal access to education and basic health care may come at the detriment of
the quality of services UNRWA is providing. Some services are already curtailed such as relief which is
based on a needs assessment. Furthermore, delivering a high quality of services that meets the needs
of beneficiaries rather than just being able to provide some sort of service is also important to UNRWA.
Relief and Social Services Programme (RSS)
88.
UNRWA s Relief a d So ial Se i es P og a
e histo i all has fo used its se i es o food assista e
to UNRWA beneficiaries and was initially based on de facto universal provision of services to persons
displaced and affected by the 1948 Arab Israeli conflict. Over the years, UNRWA has implemented a
number of changes to its relief services to enable better targeting of the most vulnerable and shifting
towards a more needs based approach.
89. In November 2011, UNRWA proposed
shifti g f o a status‐ ased ta geti g app oa h to a po e t ‐
based approach made possible through the development of the Proxy Means Test Formula (PMTF)
which suggested identifying people based on poverty. In the years that followed, UNRWA
implemented the poverty-based service delivery approach in all its fields and moved from food services
to cash services
–
except for Gaza, where the food delivery services was maintained while cash
contributions were also introduced.
90. RSS today provides relief (cash) and/or food assistance. Overall, the current provision of services is far
from sufficient and does not cover the actual need of the beneficiaries. The PMTF approach proved to
be inappropriate as the Agency could not adjust to changes in poverty levels in the population, i.e.
coverage of programmes and the formula became outdated over time with increasing inaccuracies
reported by staff leading to a feeling of disempowerment and injustice among refugees. As a
consequence of the current budget shortfall, there is a freeze on the intake of individuals who meet the
criteria to receive cash assistance from UNRWA. Since 2013, the cash assistance programme in Jordan,
the West Bank and Lebanon has been frozen for new intakes. In Gaza, new intakes were accepted until
February 2020 when a general freeze was announced. In Syria, all eligible persons in the country
receive assistance. Following the US decision to stop funding UNRWA in 2018, the cash assistance
portfolio available covers two out of three payment rounds for 2020 only. It remains to see if funds will
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be reallocated to cover shortages. This is a current discussion in UNRWA.
91. Through its relief services, UNRWA is providing a minimum lifeline. UNRWA stated that the cash
assistance that is currently provided is insufficient for survival.
92. In Gaza, RSS provides a food basket with a value of 11-18 USD per person every three months. UNRWA
covers 15 % of food imports into Gaza contributing to stabilising basic food commodity prices. Very few
vendors have a license to import food and would have monopoly. Food price hikes would be harmful to
the majority of households given very high poverty rates.
93. In the West Bank, RSS provides cash assistance to 60,000 individuals who receive 130 USD per person
per year in cash assistance.
94. In Jordan, 60,000 persons receive 125 USD per person per year in cash assistance.
95. In Lebanon, 60,000 people receive 130 USD per person per year in cash assistance.
96. In Syria, RSS is currently assisting 130,000 persons (the most vulnerable, including female headed
households) with 14 USD per person per month addressing the particularly vulnerable people and to
cover minimum 50 % of their food requirements. An additional 280,000 persons receive 9 USD per
person per month. While this in itself is not sufficient for survival, it is more than what is currently
being provided. The Syria cash assistance has been heavily reliant on US funds. Last year, the cash
assistance was aided by funds that were carried over from 2018, but this year the gap will be difficult to
meet without additional funds that have yet to be pledged. The objective is at least to maintain the 14
USD per month per person for the 130,000 most vulnerable. All PRSs are currently receiving cash
assistance.
97. In addition to its relief efforts, RSS is also responsible for registration and social work, and is currently
focusing its efforts on supporting psychosocial well-being in families through social workers.
Education Programme
98. The education programme is the biggest programme serving more than 533,000 students in 709
schools across the five fields. Any Palestine Refugee who is registered with UNRWA is accepted in
UNRWA s edu atio p og a
e. MNR hild e a e a epted as ell. Othe atego ies of Palesti ia s
can be accepted on an exceptional basis depending on the availability of space following the yearly
class formation. This includes 1967 displaced and descendants, who may be accepted based on
availability in the schools. Therefore, it may vary over time and field whether this group actually has
access to education services.
99. The education programme, with an annual budget of 400 million USD, will have to cut 40 million USD
because of the general decision to cut ten percent in all programmes. One way to address this is by
instating daily paid teachers, however this is not sufficient nor quality assuring. A deduction in the
teacher capacity will reduce the availability as well as quality of services. With an ever-increasing class
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size and less teachers, children are missing out on school with cancellation of classes, due to a lack of
teachers and a lack of funds to replace them.
100. Because of the budget cuts, UNRWA is currently not in a position to hire new teachers on long-term
contracts, as the cost of this includes providing pension, sick leave etc. As a mitigating measure
UNRWA is currently hiring daily paid staff. A daily paid teacher does not have the same possibility to
build up a relation to her/his students as one hired on a long-term contract, which could lead to a
decrease in teaching quality. In addition, daily paid teachers do not receive training or educational
support as they are not considered as staff. UNRWA is trying to mitigate the usage of daily paid
teachers, but the number of daily paid teachers continues to increase as the budget shortfall
continues.
101. The majority of UNRWA schools operate on double shifts. However, this has long been the situation
which does not necessarily relate to the budget constraints. It would be very costly to implement
single shift schools, even though it is evident that double shifts impact the quality of education.
102. Another challenge and consequence of budget shortfall is the overall class size. The top ten percent in
terms of numbers of students per class was 45 students before the US budget cuts; this has now
increased to 50 students.
103. Following the US budget cuts, UNRWA implemented a glass ceiling of 50 students per classroom, when
conducting its annual class formation planning.
104. It is also evident on educational results that the UNRWA education services are deteriorating. For
example, while UNRWA in Jordan has previously done above average in the PISA results, the results of
this year are poor. Previously, UNRWA has scored just below the Jordanian public schools, however
this year UNRWA is clearly falling behind. In practice, this means that currently there are children in
UNRWA schools who are being under stimulated because they do not have the same opportunities as
the host government school can provide, which is a serious turning point.
Health Services Programme
105. In 2019, UNRWA continued to deliver free of charge comprehensive primary health care (PHC) services
to the 5.6 million registered Palestine Refugees while supporting their access to secondary and tertiary
care.
106. Universal access to PHC is provided on the basis of the Family Health Team Approach (FHT), a person-
centred platform focused on the provision of comprehensive care for the entire family. Emphasising
long-term provider-patient/family relationships, the approach is designed to improve the quality,
efficiency and effectiveness of health services.
107. As a result of the budget deficit, it is no longer possible to ensure that retired doctors are replaced. In
addition, it is currently not possible to hire any new full time doctors. Instead, UNRWA hires daily paid
doctors, which has a negative impact on the quality of health services. A daily paid doctor cannot
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adhere to the FHT approach which builds on patient continuity and knowledge of the health status of
an entire family.
108. On average, the doctor/patient consultation time is three minutes, which cannot be considered
suffi ie t ti e fo p ope edi al t eat e t a d diag osis. I
ost ases, ui k fi es a e gi e i the
form of medicine and/or antibiotics which may not always be needed.
109. From 2017 to 2018 the number of medical consultations per doctor per day went up from 78 to 82.
110. Secondary and tertiary treatment is generally not provided by UNRWA. Instead, UNRWA contracts
certain hospitals across its fields where Palestine refugees can have part of the cost reimbursed.
However, such reimbursement will also be at stake with this continuous financial deficit.
111. As for procurement of medication, non-chronic medications have been procured. However medicine
for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is at risk which would impact more than 270,000 patients
receiving care for NCDs.
112. In Syria, health services are available, however in limited capacity and not with a high level of quality
due to the situation on the ground. An estimated half of hospitals have been destroyed during the war.
In addition, government services are under constraint and there are cases of Palestine Refugees
seeking medical attention at a government facility that have been turned away and asked to seek
UNRWA assistance instead.
Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme
113.
The I f ast u tu e a d Ca p I p o e e t P og a
e ICIP is ot pa t of UNRWA s o e
programmes and therefore is not directly affected by the budget constraints as far as it comes to
construction which relies on project funding. The ICIP financially relies on project funding. However,
part of the responsibility of the ICIP is solid waste management in camps which is funded from
programme budget.
114. As part of budget cuts, sanitation workers are also not being replaced upon sickness or retirement and
this has led to a deduction in sanitation workers. For example, where camps used to have four
sanitation workers this has been reduced to only one person. This in turn, can lead to a deterioration
of the overall health status of camp residents, as weakened sanitation systems can lead to deceases.
115. In Syria, a number of camps have been destroyed, however no camp reconstruction is currently being
considered. Minor rehabilitation work has been concluded on schools in camps where access has been
possible and where it has been meaningful to do so.
Protection
116. UNRWA does not provide protection in the same sense that UNHCR does. Furthermore, UNRWA is not
in any way providing physical protection to its beneficiaries as this is the responsibility of host
governments, though not a responsibility that is always taken on board.
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117. UNRWA is operating from a service delivery mandate and unless this is changed into a human rights
focused mandate, providing physical protection remains impossible. Therefore, when UNRWA states
that it conducts protection, this is not to be understood as following international protection
sta da ds. UNRWA s p ote tio effo ts a e solel p ote tio
ai st ea i g i its p og a
es a d
service delivery and small scale protection interventions in specific cases
–
e.g. addressing child abuse
by referring the case to a protection provider about the case, when this is possible, and in very limited
cases of refoulement related to PRS, interventions with government. UNRWA cannot provide physical
protection. UNRWA does not manage the refugee camps and has no role in ensuring personal safety in
the camps.
118. UNHCR engages with governments to ensure legislation which improves the protection space for
UNHCR beneficiaries. UNRWA does not conduct such advocacy with its host governments. An example
of this is the difference of the status of Syrian refugees in Jordan and PRS in Jordan. Refugees with
Syrian citizenship can hold legal stay, whereas many PRS cannot due to the inability of UNRWA to
address this issue with the host government.
119. In cases of mixed families who fled from Syria to Jordan, where a PRS is married to a Syrian refugee
there is little cooperation between UNRWA and UNHCR. The family may be registered with both UN
agencies as well as receiving services from both.
120. UNRWA stated that host governments would not accept if UNRWA facilitated any sort of resettlement
of a Palestine Refugee to their countries. Therefore, UNRWA does not conduct such protection
interventions.
121. UNRWA explained that recently some Palestine Refugees in Lebanon have attempted to deregister
f o UNRWA, hopi g that this ould allo fo the to fall u de UNHCR s a date. This sho s the
level of distress and unfairness that the Palestine Refugees feel subjected to, not having the same
rights as any other refugee across the world that fall under the 1951 Convention related to the Status
of Refugees. UNRWA has communicated that deregistration in itself will not remove the individual
from falling under the mandate of UNRWA.
Short field-by-field overview
Syria
122. About 2/3 of the PRS community is displaced and the majority live in the Damascus area. Three camps
have been completely destroyed and one informal camp (Yarmouk) is not accessible without permits.
During the uprising, a proportion of PRSs have supported the cause of the opposition. This is why some
of the camps that were considered as oppositional were completely destroyed.
123. UNRWA conducted a survey in Syria from 2018-2019. The survey showed that 90 % of the refugees
lived below the poverty line of 2 USD per person per day, without taking UNRWA
s fi a ial assista e
into account. At that time, UNRWA still provided cash assistance to the poorest groups amounting to
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28 USD per person per month, which now has been reduced between �½ to 1/3 of this (USD 14/USD 9
respectively). Taking into consideration the modest assistance provided by UNRWA at the time of the
survey, 74 % still lived under the poverty line at the time.
124. PRSs in Syria experience high rental costs, lack of heating, rationed and unaffordable food and lack of
employment. The govern
e t e e ises i di e t o t ols o e UNRWA s ope atio s th ough staff
members. UNRWA staff and their family members have disappeared.
Lebanon
125. The current economic crisis affects the already vulnerable Palestine Refugee community. Employment
restrictions have now worsened. Even holding a job within the informal employment sector now
requires a permit from the Lebanese authorities. During a 2015 survey, only 6 % of those employed
held employment permits. The PRS community in Lebanon are in legal limbo with no formalised legal
stay. Having entered the country illegally or being unable to renew their previous permits, many are
now trapped inside the UNRWA camps, where entry and exit in most cases is controlled by the
Lebanese army. There are extremely limited and poorly paid work opportunities in the camps and the
PRS survive on handouts.
Gaza
126. Gaza remains under blockade. The opening of the Rafah border continues to be irregular. If the Rafah
border opens on a more regular basis, it can be expected that there will be an increase in the number
of persons seeking to leave
–
even by sea.
West Bank
127. The Israeli control regime remains penetrating. Palestine refugee communities are affected by
demolition orders and restrictions on movements.
Jordan
128. Even if most Palestinians are Jordanian citizens, tension remains between East and West Bankers. A
majority of the communities living in slum areas which are often sprawling camp sites that have
expanded are Palestine Refugees. In 2013, poverty inside camps stood at just over 30 % compared to
all other populations outside of camps (14.4 %). In addition, the ex-Gazan community remains
vulnerable. Jerash camp which is almost entirely inhabited by ex-Gazans had a poverty rate of 53 % in
2013 alone. The group of ex-Gazans in Jordan consists of about 150,000 persons, who have to renew
their residence permits every two years including a security check.
External factors
i pa ti g UNRWA s a ilit to deli e se i es
129.
A tio s of the host go e
e ts a also di e tl o i di e tl i pa t UNRWA s a ilit to deli e
services. For example, the Jordanian government decided to increase its salaries for teachers. In
return, it is expected that UNRWA does the same in accordance with its salary alignment policy across
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all fields. This will cost UNRWA 40 million USD a year from 2020 onwards, of which 10 million USD are
for Jordan alone.
130. The population growth also results in an increasing demand of services which is not possible to meet
without a continuously growing budget.
Meeting with the Director-General of Department of Palestinian Affairs in
Amman
Amman, 4 March 2020
The Department of Palestinian Affairs is an independent department under the Jordanian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Expatriates that works on implementing official policies on Palestinian issues. This
includes cooperation and coordination with UNRWA, and supervising issues related to Palestinian refugee
camps.
Background
131. The Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA) stated that there are about 2.3 million Palestinian
refugees in Jordan. This number includes both the 1948-refugees and the 1967 displaced. Of these 95
% have the Jordanian citizenship as a result of unity between East and West Bank of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan. The remaining 5 % are so-called ex-Gazans who either left the Egypt-
administered Gaza Strip in 1967 or are descendants of this group through the paternal line.
132. The number of displaced persons who arrived in Jordan in 1967 was approximately 206,000. The DPA
does not have exact figures of how big this group (incl. descendants) is today. According to DPA,
1967 displaced have Jordanian nationality.
133. The Palestinian refugees with citizenship in Jordan enjoy the same rights as any other Jordanian
citizen, whereas ex-Gazans have more limited rights. For instance, ex-Gazans are unable to get a job
in the public sector and are allowed to own land but with special restrictions and conditions.
Access to services
134. UNRWA provides services to 1948 refugees as well as to the 1967 displaced. They also extend
services to Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS).
135. DPA stated that UNRWA has continuously operated on a budget deficit, which was also the case in
2018 and 2019. The austerity measures resulting from the budget shortfall, has affected all UNRWA
services. For example, many teachers and sanitary workers are
u e tl hi ed as dail paid hi h
means that it is difficult to ensure continuity and quality. Furthermore, UNRWA was unable to ensure
that h o i edi i e is a aila le. With ega d to Relief a d So ial Se i es, . % of UNRWA s
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beneficiaries are currently receiving financial relief support. DPA was expecting this number to
increase, however UNRWA has not been in a position to do so due to the budget constraints.
136. After the US budget cuts in 2018, then the Commissioner-General of UNRWA stated that UNRWA
s
schools were unable to open for the school year 2018/19. However, additional funding from all
donors made it possible for UNRWA to open its schools and ensure that education services were
upheld.
137. The budget cuts have had the biggest impact on education, as it is the largest of UNRWAs
programmes. Consequently, more parents have decided to enrol their children in public Jordanian
schools, which put further pressure on government services and budgets. The Jordanian government
had appealed to the International Community to build more public Jordanian schools. DPA
emphasized that the regression in UNRWA services has increased the burden of the Jordanian
government.
138. The 1967 group of Palestinians are considered to be displaced persons and are not registered as
refugees with UNRWA. However, some of them still receive services from UNRWA. DPA has
facilitated access to education in UNRWA schools for some of them. There are others from this group
who study in public schools and receive health services from the Jordanian government.
Loss of citizenship
139. Following the 1988 detachment of the West Bank from Jordan, Palestinian residents in the West
Bank were no longer considered Jordanian citizens. Palestinian residents in Jordan retained their
citizenship.
140. Following the Oslo Accords, some Palestinians with Jordanian citizenship moved back to the West
Bank and received Palestinian passports. As a consequence, they lost their Jordanian citizenship.
According to DPA, except for these cases, Palestinians have only lost their citizenship upon their own
request.
141. It is possible to have your citizenship reinstated. The decision to reinstate citizenship is taken by the
Ministry of Interior. DPA are aware of cases where people have reinstated their citizenship.
Documents
142. Until 1988, DPA issued a special card for 1967 displaced, which is no longer in use. DPA does not
issue any special documents to this group anymore.
143. DPA does not issue any documents to Palestinian refugees from Syria and does not have any contact
with this group.
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Residency for non-citizens with right to residency in Jordan
144. Jordanian women cannot pass on their Jordanian nationality to their children. There are many
organisations who call for this to be changed, but the Jordanian authorities have not made a decision
on this. Except from not having a citizenship in Jordan, these children enjoy the same rights as
children that are Jordanian citizens.
Meeting with four Western embassies
Amman, 4 March 2020
The delegation met with representatives from four Wester
e
return of asylum seekers from Europe to the region.
Re-entry requirements
145. The Jordanian authorities do generally not accept forced returns of Palestinians without citizenship,
according to two embassies (A and B).
146. A person who is being forced to return, will be considered a foreigner and therefore not eligible for
legal stay in the country. If the return is voluntary, and not supported by any foreign authorities, i.e.
the person returning has bought his own return ticket, has a valid travel document and residence
permit in Jordan, (s)he can return. However, if a person with legal residence permit in Jordan, has
been abroad in a longer period, for instance 6-8 months, he likely will have problems upon return. The
embassies emphasized that all is possible depending on the network of the embassies with the
Jordanian authorities.
147. The western embassy (B) stated that generally, it will be difficult for a person on a temporary
residence permit in Jordan to return to the country, as s/he is not considered Jordanian. If the person
is forcefully returned, the person will not be allowed to enter.
148. A western embassy (A) informed the delegation that persons with a Jordanian national ID number can
return to Jordan, if the citizenship has not been withdrawn. For persons without a national ID number,
it will be difficult.
149. Regarding Palestinians who hold a T-passport, two embassies (A and B) stated that it depends on the
circumstances if such persons could return. Some embassies have experienced that the Jordanian
authorities have accepted that persons return, while others have experienced that it is not possible. It
often depends on having strong relations or connections with the responsible authority. The return of
Palestinians with a T-passport would have to be a voluntary return without the involvement of foreign
authorities. A western embassy (B) stated that a person returning on a T-passport will be refused entry
if s/he is deported. Such return needs approval from the Jordanian authorities.
assies. The represe tati es
ai fo us as
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150. According to a Note Verbal issued by the Jordanian authorities, all forced returns have been stopped
since September 2019. Whilst the Jordanian authorities have stated that it is a temporary measure,
the western embassies considered it to be ongoing.
151. The Note Verbal is only related to transits to the West Bank.
152. A western embassy (C) mentioned that they see an increasing number of Jordanian citizens who are to
be returned from its country, but the Jordanian authorities do not want them back if it is a forced
return.
Residence permits
153. If the residence permit of a Palestinian without Jordanian nationality is expired, the person cannot
enter Jordan to apply for an extension in the country.
154. A western embassy (A) mentioned a case of a family living in Saudi Arabia, where only the Jordanian
woman who lived in Saudi Arabia could enter Jordan, whereas her husband and children were unable
to enter, as they were not Jordanian citizens.
155. The same embassy (A) mentioned that children of a Palestinian mother with Jordanian citizenship, and
a father who is a Syrian Palestinian (PRS) would be able to return to Jordan, only if the parents were
divorced. Even if the wife is Jordanian citizen, their children will not be allowed entry if the parents are
not divorced.
156. In the case of a PRS mother and a father who is a Palestinian refugee from Jordan (PRJ), the children
will be Jordanian nationals. The mother can apply for a residency if the father still has his nationality
intact.
157. Regarding foreign women married to Jordanian husbands, it would be the husband who has to apply
for a residence permit for the wife. (A)
158. Some countries (Canada, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and USA) previously had a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the Jordanian authorities allowing Palestinians from the West Bank to
transit through Jordan when returning to the West Bank. The Jordanian authorities cancelled the MOU
in late 2018. Some of these countries are now trying to establish a new agreement, but have not
succeeded so far. Previously, it happened on a case-by-case basis that some European countries
obtained permission for Palestinians to transit Jordan and Israel to get access to West Bank and Gaza.
However, in September 2019, the Jordanian authorities issued a Note Verbal stating that all returns to
Gaza and the West Bank must go through Israeli airports. Since then there have been no transits
through Jordan.
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Access for Palestinians from Syria
159. All the western embassies informed the delegation that since 2014/15 legal access to Jordan for
Palestinians from Syria (PRS) has been denied.
160. In September 2018, the Jaber/Nasib border crossing between Jordan and Syria was reopened to allow
around 15,000-20,000 Syrians to enter Jordan for security reasons. However, these people were not
Syrian Palestinians, but people who held Syrian passports.
161. A western embassy (C) stated that in late 2018 and the beginning of 2019; some Syrian refugees began
returning to Syria. However, according to the Jordanian Government, no Syrians have been forced
back to Syria.
Access for Palestinians from Algeria and Libya
162. Palestinians would not be allowed to enter Jordan for registration purposes, regardless of their
eligibility to register with UNRWA, according to a western embassy (A). A western embassy (C) stated
that a Palestinian in Algeria cannot be returned or sent to Jordan if the person does not hold a valid
residence permit in Jordan. A western embassy (B) added that historically some Palestinians have
obtained citizenship in Algeria.
Documents
163. A western embassy (B) informed the delegation that only travel documents and residence permits for
Palestinians issued by the Jordanian authorities are relevant for return. The embassy does not see
UNRWA documents used during the return process and has not received any reports on false
documents either. If there are any doubt about the family members of a Palestinian refugee family (for
resettlement purposes), the embassy would conduct a DNA test. Another embassy (C) similarly stated
that forged Syrian family books were submitted to them in resettlement cases, but there are no
reports of forged UNRWA documents, and they are not used as documentation by individuals who are
returning.
164. When asked if the airlines are under an obligation to the Jordanian authorities, to ensure whom they
are returning to Jordan, one embassy (B) stated that it is not the duty of the airline to ask the proper
authorizations from the Jordanian authorities. This should be done weeks or months before by the
Immigration Services of the country who wants to return back the Palestinian.
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Skype meeting with Professor Susan Akram
Copenhagen, 17 February 2020
Susan Akram is a Professor at Boston University of Law, where she directs the International Human Rights
Clinic. Akram has lectured on Palestinian refugees to general audiences around the world as well as to the
committees of the United Nations, the European Union as well as representatives of European and Canadian
government ministries and parliaments.
204
Persons eligible to receive UNRWA services
165. To understand whether a person is qualified to register with UNRWA, it is important to understand
what category the person falls under, as this determines if descendants of that person can register.
166.
The la gest atego is the
Palesti e Refugee , hi h falls u de Resolutio
a d its defi itio
of a Palestine Refugee. However, it is important to note, that this is not really a refugee definition but
rather a nationality definition. Looking at the interpretations issued by the United Nations legal advisor
to the Se eta iat s U ited Natio s Re o iliatio Co
ittee o Palesti e UNCCP a d the UN
Se eta iat, that defi itio is e plai ed i th ee pa ti ula otes the Se eta iat s U ited Nations
Reconciliation Committee on Palestine (UNCCP), who drafted the first definition for the purpose of
Resolution 194. The categories listed in those interpretative notes relates to the nationality definition
under the Lausanne treaty of 1924 and the subsequent Palestine citizenship law of the British mandate
period, under which Palestinians firstly were defined as nationals of Palestine and somewhere
between 40-60.000 of them received passports during the mandate period.
167. UNRWA used this as the basis of drafting its first definition of Palestine refugees related to the 1947-
1949 conflict definition. It is a direct subcategory of the Resolution 194 definition. This is important to
u de sta d, e ause the Palesti e efugee defi itio
- the major category under UNRWA
–
is actually
not a refugee definition per se, but rather a nationality definition. UNRWA added to the UNCCP 194
defi itio the la guage ho lost thei ho es a d li elihoods a d e e u a le to etu . This eated
the refugee category, but it is a different refugee category than what one would normally understand
as a efugee u de the Refugee Co e tio a d the UNHCR statute. I othe o ds, Palesti e
efugees u de Resolutio
a e ot defi ed as pe so s ith a fea of pe se utio ho
must
individually fulfill a set of criteria to be so defined. They are defined as an entire population or
category by virtue of fitting within the Lausanne Treaty definition of Palestine nationals.
168. The second largest category (under the CERI guidelines), is the 1967 displaced persons. In addition to
this, there is the intergenerational definition, laid out in GA Resolution 2252, which explicitly extends
oth of these defi itio s Palesti e efugees a d Palesti e displa ed pe so s , to su se ue t
generatio
s ithout li itatio . While
does ot e tio des e da ts , it is i te ded to ea all
subsequent generations and this interpretation is available in UNRWA writings (see also UNRWA and
the refugees, sixty years later: Lance Bartholomeusz; UNRWA at
si t . This des i es UNRWA s
204
Refugee Legal Aid Information for Lawyers Representing Refugees Globally,
Resource Person: Professor Susan Akram,
n.d.,
url
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position on who qualifies, and UNRWAs position is consistent in the way that 2252 means that all
subsequent generations of both 1948 refugees and 1967 displaced persons are eligible for registration.
This is also consistent with all other refugees in the world, who remain refugees even as subsequent
generations, as long as a durable solution has not been found for their condition. All of the other
atego ies su h as Kafala hild e , Gaza poo et . , a e ad ho atego ies that
do not specifically fit
into either of the two abovementioned groups. These other categories completely relates to what
UNRWA decides are the urgent needs of specific subsequent displaced populations. As such, these
other categories have to be addressed separately, as they do not fall into the automatic registration
categories, but are based on needs, and they may or may not be registered under one of the two main
definitions. This is fairly clear in the UNRWA CERI explanations, other than that including them in
UNRWA services entirely depends on whether UNRWA has the funds to provide for them.
169. To try and simplify it, one can think of these two buckets: 1) 1948 refugees and 1967 displaced and 2)
all the other categories, as two very different buckets. Bucket one is based on a registration definition;
automatic entitlement to be registered. Bucket two; the ad hoc categories, are for temporary service
delivery depending on whether or not UNRWA has the funds to give services. These categories do not
fit under the automatic registration entitlement. So for purposes of Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee
Co e tio a d e og itio as a efugee u de the Co e tio , these t o u kets ha e to e
addressed differently.
170. Today, article 1D in the 1951 Refugee Convention covers only Palestine refugees and no other refugee
populatio . It states that: This Co e tio shall ot appl to pe so s ho a e at p ese t e ei i g
from organs or agencies of the United Nations other than the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugee protection or assistance. When such protection or assistance has ceased for any reason,
without the position of such persons being definitively settled in accordance with the relevant
resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, these persons shall ipso facto be
e titled to the e efits of this Co e tio . The fi st se te e of A ti le D appea s i the UNHCR
Statute, as well as in the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons. For decades, these
provisions were interpreted
as e lusio lauses, ea i g that Palesti e efugees as a hole e e
excluded from the benefits of both the Refugee Covention, the Convention on Stateless Persons and
from the mandate of UNHCR. However, over the last decade or so, these interpretations have been
challenged, and the most authoritative interpretations are now from the Court of Justice of the
Eu opea U io CJEU , ased o the Bol ol a d El Kott ases, a d o UNHCR s ei te p etatio s
which track the CJEU jurisprudence.
171. The CJEU jurisprudence refers only to Palestine refugees and Palestinian displaced persons (i.e. the
fi st u ket efe ed to a o e , ot the ad ho atego ies, i dete i i g hethe su h Palesti ia
efugees a e eligi le fo the e efits of the Refugee Co e tio once
they are outside UNRWA
a date a eas pe the la guage of D he su h p ote tio o assista e has eased .
172. This is completely different from UNHCR. Where UNHCR refugee status determination (RSD) is an
international determination for purposes of durable solutions, this is not the case for the UNRWA
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definitions. Being based on voluntariness, Palestinians are not recognised in the same way as refugees
registered for durable solutions under international refugee entitlements.
173. It is important to remember, that registration with UNRWA is voluntary.
MNRs
174. Whether the MNRs have the right to pass on the right to registration to descendants has to be
addressed by UNRWA. It is however clear in UNRWAs writings, that its position is that descendants of
all refugees are entitled to be recognised as refugees until a durable solution is achieved. In that sense,
UNRWA s positio is ot diffe e t f o UNHCR efugees. All efugees o ti ue to e efugees u til
durable solutions are found to their situation. Even though the determination of durable solutions for
refugees is different for Palestinians than for UNHCR refugees.
175. When addressing whether a female child of an MNR, who has children herself, inherits the right to
register with UNRWA, one has to separate the nationality question from the right to registration and
services. Nationality is a complicated issue. In the Arab states, first of all, it is important to recognise
that these states do not recognise refugees as refugees per se. None of them has ratified the Refugee
Convention or the Convention on Stateless Persons and none of them have adopted a domestic
definition of refugees. In the memorandums of understanding (MOU) with UNHCR and with UNRWA,
the Arab States have specifically restricted UNHCR from recognising Palestinians as refugees. In
addition, UNRWA can solely recognise Palestinians by their right to registration and services. It
therefore is a big question mark what nationality a Palestinian in the Arab states will have. In 1965 the
Arab States came together through the League of Arab States (LAS) and ratified the Casablanca
Protocol; this consists of eight provisions which were intended to help resolve the question of
uncertainty around the Palestinian nationality by giving them certain superior rights. Casablanca and
several other LAS Resolutions, intended to recognise dual nationality for Palestinians. This is an
exception to the Arab States position, which does not recognise dual nationality for anyone.
MNR children and descendants /maternal line grandchildren
176. Therefore, the question of passing on nationality, which women cannot do, is a separate question to
the one of whether a Palestinian can receive services. It is up to UNRWA to decide, whether that
subsequent generation of the woman lose the right
to egist atio . UNRWA follo ed the s ste of
follo i g the pate al li e i o de to e o siste t ith the A a States positio o atio alit . But
UNRWA can decide which subsequent generations should get services; this is up to UNRWA and can be
sepa
ated f o the atio alit uestio . MNRs fall u de the othe g oups a d it the efo e is up to
UNRWA to decide if it wants to continue to extend services to another generation within that
category. This is all based on needs.
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Ex-Gazans
177. According to Akram, the total population of the Ex-Gazans consists of approximately 10,000 persons.
Some have temporary passports and some have no documents at all.
178. There are very few organisations providing services to the Ex-Gazans, besides UNRWA. One key
organisation in this regard is Islamic Relief (IR), as they work in the Ex-Gazan refugee camps on a daily
basis. IR will be able to provide detailed information on this group, including a breakdown of persons
with and without documents.
Availability of UNRWA services
Overall Impact of external factors
179. Following the US budget cuts to UNRWA in 2018, around 500 schools were temporarily closed, until
the financial shortfall was closed by other key donors (including the EU).
180. Akram stated that each UNRWA field will have to make a determination about its funds and how they
should be put to use.
181.
Ak a e plai ed that se e al issues ould i pa t UNRWA s a ilit to deli e
services. One is the Syria
crisis. Host states have been under pressure as the crisis has continued, and six million have fled to
neighbouring states. This has resulted in UNRWA coming under pressure from the host states - as has
UNHCR - not to expand its services or refugee population. Especially since January 2015, most of the
neighbouring states began to limit the access on their borders. UNRWA then started recording
Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS), which means they would transfer or simply record the
information on the PRS (in e.g. Jordan or Lebanon). As a result, PRS did not automatically have access
to all services. UNRWA did this for two reasons: partly in response to the pressures of the host states,
but also because Syria took the public position that any Palestinian who left Syria, would not be able to
go a k. To e su e that the PRS ould etai thei egist atio i S ia, UNRWA ai tai ed the
registration in Syria and did not fully transfer their registration to Lebanon or Jordan, to give them the
option of going back.
182. Akram explained that the position of the Syrian Government, in relation to not allowing PRS to return,
still stands. However, some PRS have managed to go back.
183. In Lebanon, PRS have ended up in the already established Palestinian camps and have massively
exacerbated the problems of overcrowding and limited services. The camps in Lebanon are the most
poverty-stricken of the ones UNRWA operates in, except for Gaza.
184. When asked what the limitations of services for PRS are, Akram explained that the limitations were
within the additional services which were available for the Syrian crisis under the Emergency Appeals
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of UNRWA. Furthermore, because UNHCR has been prohibited in delivering any of their Syria
Emergency Response services to Palestinians, PRS have been caught both ways. But in terms of the
detailed services, this has again been dependent on the funds.
Protection mandate of UNRWA
185.
UNRWA s p ote tio o k is e ad ho a d i o e satio s ith p ote tio offi e s o e the
years,
the answers differ in regards to what the focus of the protection efforts are. It again comes back to
what each field has the funds to provide, and whether there is a protection officer who can undertake
protection interventions. This is based on anecdotal information. Protection work, as well as service
delivery, is challenged due to lack of funds. Moreover, protection staff does not always have the clear
legal autho it to i te e e. Natio al autho ities state that UNRWA s a ea of o k is to p ovide
services and not be involved with protection related efforts, such as for example deportation
interventions where Palestinians have been detained and deportation is imminent. Akram published a
report in 2014, focussing on refoulement back to Syria, specifically from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and
Egypt. The report highlights cases of PRS in Egypt, who were sent back to Lebanon by the Egyptian
authorities. The Lebanese authorities claimed that they had the right to send them back to Syria, but it
is not known whether this took place, as it was impossible to obtain any solid information in this
regard. In some of these cases, Egypt sent PRS to Jordan where they were detained and subjected to
imminent deportation. It is also unclear what happens to these individuals when they go back to Syria,
as they Syrian Government will have access to them, since they are deported and not going under the
radar. UNRWA may be tracking such cases. Akram believes that this is a growing problem with limited
information available.
186. When asked if she was aware of incidents, where UNRWA assisted Palestinians in leaving due to
protection related issues, Akram provided information of the historic incidents related to the exodus
from Kuwait, as well as the Gulf wars (from camps on Jordan/Iraqi border), where UNRWA and UNHCR
entered into a cooperation. It may be that such collaboration between UNRWA and UNHCR is still
ongoing, but there is no public evidence of this.
Documents
187. Akram is not aware of any misuse of documents and has not seen any such cases with fraudulent
do u e ts th ough he o k ith US la e s. She fu the o e e plai ed that u de the El Kott
decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union, an individual does not necessarily need to have
UNRWA registration, but just need to be able to show eligibility for UNRWA registration. So probably
the reason for people to obtain fraudulent documents, would simply be to be able to leave the country
and not so much for the UNRWA registration purposes but rather the fact that they have very limited
access
–
if any
–
to other forms of identity documents.
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Access to Jordan
188. When asked if it is possible for a Palestinian to enter Jordan if he/she is eligible for a residency permit
in Jordan (e.g. husband of a Jordanian wife), Akram explained that this is a complicated question.
Generally, Palestinians in Jordan have an extremely difficult time in terms of obtaining residency,
because the law on residency has been changing frequently, as has the criteria for eligibility. It may
also depend on the status of the family member, if it is a family based residency, and the duration of
the permit of the family member.
189. The requirements to obtain residency can range from 12-15 years, however there is conflicting
legislation on the period of time necessary to be remaining in the country before one can obtain
residency status. But this is better addressed with the Ministry of Interior directly, as the MoI are
implementing residency and nationality laws and have a representative in charge of the refugees file.
Nationality /citizenship
190. More of the temporary passports holders are not getting those passports renewed. This includes
Palestinian Jordanians with the five year duration passports. The organisation Jordanian Centre for
Legal Aid (JCLA) has been dealing with these cases as de-naturalisation cases and has represented the
cases in court. The position is that they hold West Bank citizenships, which they do not. The denial of
renewal of such passports still occurs. When meeting with JCLA in November, Akram explained that
the organisation had a number of cases that they were currently defending in court. The practise
started some time ago and has accelerated in the last couple of years. The acceleration came as part of
the i ple e tatio of the Jo da Fi st poli . The poli –
led by the King of Jordan
–
states that
there are no Palestinians, and that the ones who are citizens are Jordanians. Anyone else residing in
the country is considered a foreigner. This has resulted in the de-naturalisation process; implying that
you cannot have something in between. When asked to clarify which groups are being stripped from
citizenship, Akram explained that all the 1948 Palestinians have Jordanian nationality/citizenship. This
group has a national ID number and a full passport. Any person, who holds a passport with a national
ID number, is considered a Jordanian citizen. These are not at risk of being revoked. The 1967 and post
1967 Palestinians, who have anything less than a passport with a national ID number, appear to be
vulnerable to de-nationalisation. Some people travelling back and forth from Jordan to the West Bank
are losing their temporary passports or their Jordanian ID cards upon return to Jordan. Others, who
have been in Jordan longer, and who may have passports without national ID numbers, are going
through the process of revoking or non-renewal of passports. Without knowing the exact number,
Akram expects that this is going to be a growing problem.
Access for Palestinians from outside of UNRWAs areas of operations
191. Akram is not aware of cases where UNRWA has assisted Palestinians in entering one of its five fields
for the purpose of obtaining registration. During the 1960s and early 1970s, when the Casablanca
P oto ol as ope ati g, it as u h easie to o e et ee a UNRWA ou t a d othe A a
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countries. States that had signed the Casablanca Protocol were required to facilitate the issuance of
documents and at that time, they did. UNRWA might have been involved in this process at the time,
but states have since backed away from their Casablanca obligations, despite being reminded hereof.
192. When asked if Palestinians from Algeria and Libya can register with UNRWA, Akram explained that
since UNRWA is not operating in these countries, they are not registering Palestinians in either of
these countries. UNRWA has no offices in Libya or Algeria and cannot assist in any way. Akram is not
aware of any MOU between UNHCR and these two governments to enable UNHCR to operate there.
However, UNHCR does conduct RSD in North Africa for some Palestinians. Akram stated that she is
convinced that UNHCR would not be doing so in Libya, however without having done on the ground
research, it is not possible to give a definite answer.
193. When asked if a Palestinian living in Algeria, who may be eligible to register with UNRWA, in any way
can register with UNRWA, Akram stated that this is not possible. She explained that UNWRA only
registers Palestinians in countries in which they are authorised to operate. Also, the person has to
meet one of the criteria. In addition, the funds that are allocated to a specific country for providing
services will determine the registration and service delivery. UNRWA is not allowed to register
someone, who does not belong to one of their five fields of operations. A person is registered as
Palesti e efugee, Jo da o Palesti e efugee, Le a o a d so o . O e has to ph si all e the e to
be eligible to access that
ou t s egist atio p o ess. Agai , it ould e hugel p o le ati fo the
host countries, and they would absolutely object to that.
Final comments
194. Finally, Akram stated that from her perspective, one of the big misconceptions, when addressing the
issue of Palestinians, is that registration with UNRWA somehow is considered to be equivalent of RSD
with UNHCR. Legally that is not the case, because UNRWA has no durable solutions mandate. This
seems to be confused in the way CJEU and many European countries have been viewing UNRWA
registration. Somehow, Palestinians in the UNRWA fields of operation have no access to durable
solutions. They do not have an international refugee status recognition that is verified by UNRWA
registration. This is the biggest misconception and a big concern, considering how CJEU has addressed
the issue of protection.
Skype meeting with Professor Oroub El-Abed
Copenhagen, 20 February 2020
Oroub El-Abed is a principal researcher at Lebanese American University and a postdoctoral research fellow
at SOAS University of London. Her field of research includes citizenship, migration and refugee rights, with a
particular focus on Palestinians in the Middle East.
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Citizenship
195. The West Bank was formally annexed by Jordan between 1950 and 1988. As a consequence, all
Palestinians living in the East Bank and the West Bank obtained Jordanian citizenship. In 1988 the
Jordanian king severed ties with the West Bank, and thus withdrew the citizenship from people living
in the West Bank. Instead of a passport, the West Bankers were given provisional travel documents
issued by Jordan. Palestinian travel documents, which this group later got entitled to, were introduced
in 1996.
196. Palestinians who lived in the East Bank in 1988 continued to be Jordanian citizens, except for a group
of Palestinians who left from Gaza to Jordan following the 1967 war.
197. Over the last 40 years or so, there have been cases of Palestinians affiliated with PLO who were asked
to leave and had their citizenship withdrawn.
198. At one point the number of citizenship withdrawals reduced. However, an increase has occurred in
later years. There is no clear pattern in regard to who are at risk of having their citizenship withdrawn.
The decision of citizenship withdrawal is based on regulations set out by the government.
199. The recent increase in withdrawals relates to a number of people whose ancestors were affiliated with
Palestinian armed groups and left Jordan to Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s. Those persons believed
they were still Jordanian citizens, however upon fleeing Syria, they realised that their Jordanian
citizenship had been withdrawn.
200. There is no clear pattern of who is at risk of having their citizenship withdrawn. Examples include
descendants of PLO fighters from Syria, persons from the West Bank who lived abroad, children of
ministers of Palestinian origin, and Palestinians with Jordanian passports who never been to Palestine.
Access for Palestinians from Jordan (incl. non-citizens)
201. Access to Jordan for Palestinians depends on what category the person belongs to. The Palestinians in
Jordan can roughly be divided into three categories: 1) persons who entered Jordan between 1946 and
1954, 2) persons who entered Jordan from the West Bank as a consequence of the war in 1967, and 3)
people who entered Jordan from Gaza in 1967.
202. The persons in the first category of Palestinians in Jordan are fully-fledged citizens. They have
Jordanian national numbers and can enter Jordan on the same conditions as any other Jordanian
citizen.
203. The second category comprises of Palestinians who left the West Bank because of the 1967 war.
According to official Jordanian figures from 1968, 354,248 Palestinians with Jordanian citizenship
arrived to the area that comprises present-day Jordan as a consequence of the 1967 war. Some
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persons belonging to this group possess yellow border crossing cards that were introduced in the
1980s and allowed them to travel to the West Bank. People in this category are also full citizens and
enjoy rights as such.
204. The third category consists of the so-called ex-Gazans. Today there are approximately 250,000-350,000
persons belonging to this category. They are Palestinians who left Gaza to Jordan in 1967. At that time
their numbers were 15,000-20,000. When they left Gaza, they were holders of Egyptian travel
documents, but Egypt refused to take responsibility for them. In 1968 Jordan started issuing
provisional travel documents to this group. Recently, the validity period of these travel documents
increased from two to five years. There are examples of ex-Gazans who lost the right to have travel
documents issued because they refused to act as informers for the Jordanian authorities.
205. The possibility of returning to Jordan for an ex-Gazan depends on the specific scenario, and on which
papers and travel documents the person has. If an ex-Gazan has access to Gaza, Jerusalem or the West
Bank by having a border-crossing card to one of those places, Jordan could direct the person to that
place.
206. If an ex-Gazan leaves Jordan illegally he would be put in prison having left the country illegally which
will be considered as an illegal act.
Border-crossing cards
207. A smaller group of Palestinians from the West Bank, not exceeding 200,000-300,000, needed to have
regular access to Jordan. They were given provisional Jordanian travel documents and at the same
time are holders of green border-crossing cards.
208. The border-crossing cards were introduced in the 1980s and entitle the holders to move between
Jordan and either Gaza, Jerusalem or the West Bank respectively because of family or business.
Access for Palestinians from Syria
209. Palestinians from Syria (PRS) have not been allowed to enter Jordan, except for a few thousand
persons who entered Jordan legally before 2013. In case a family is comprised of a wife who is a
Jordanian citizen and a husband who is a PRS, the husband and their children can be allowed to enter
Jordan if the wife acts as a guarantor.
Rights to services
210. Registration with UNRWA took place 70 years ago and it has not been possible to register ever since,
except for some cases in 1991, when many Palestinians from the West Bank left the Gulf.
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211. The registration of Palestinians was done in 1948 by the Red Cross which passed its records to the
UNRWA. Those who registered were given ration card and seen as Palestine refugees. Those who
arrived in Jordan then were given the ration card. In 1967, people had already the cards of registration
with UNRWA and simply moved from West Bank cities to Jordan. Registration of new cases was done
once in 1991. There is a continuous registration for descendants.
212. It is possible to be a Jordanian citizen and a registered refugee with UNRWA at the same time. Such
individuals are entitled to receive services from Jordanian authorities as well as from UNRWA. In many
instances it would be a matter of proximity that decides whether a person chooses to get assistance
from the authorities or from UNRWA.
213. Non-citizens, e.g. ex-Gazans, cannot enter Jordanian public schools for free, faces constraints in getting
private sector jobs and are treated as Arab foreigners when accessing higher education. This means
that they often have no other choice but to receive help from UNRWA.
214. Among ex-Gazans there are both registered refugees, who experienced their second displacement in
1967, and persons who got displaced for the first time in 1967. Oroub El-Abed stated that according to
UNRWA s ules,
those who got displaced for the first time in 1967 must live inside an UNRWA refugee
camp in order to receive services from UNRWA.
215.
A o di g to UNRWA s guideli es, efugee status goes th ough the pate al li e. The situatio fo
children of women who are married to a non-refugee (MNR) has been discussed in the last 10 years. In
2006 these children got entitled to some limited services such as school and health services. It is
unlikely that children of MNRs would be able to receive services.
Impact of external factors
216. Oroub El-Abed stated that the quality of core services has deteriorated since 1991, when the Madrid
peace talks diverted funding to support state building inside the West Bank and Gaza. In the 1980s,
UNRWA schools were known to provide the highest level of education due to well-educated teachers
and well-equipped facilities. Because of the decreased funding after 1991, teachers were hired on a
yearly basis instead of being permanently employed. Combined, this led to a decrease in the quality of
education in UNRWA schools.
217. When the US discontinued its funding to UNRWA in 2018, the gap was filled in by some European
countries as well as Gulf countries.
E-mail correspondence with Francesca P. Albanese
Copenhagen, 13 April 2020
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Francesca P. Albanese is an international lawyer and Affiliate Scholar at Georgetown University (ISIM). A
former Legal Officer at UNRWA Department of Legal Affairs, she is the author, with Lex Takkenberg, of
Palestinian Refugees in International Law, Oxford University Press, 2
nd
ed., 2020.
Francesca P. Albanese was asked to respond to three questions reflected in the headlines. Footnotes
included in the answers are written by the source and the numbers have been edited to correspond with the
report.
The direct impact of the U.S. budget cuts on UNRWAs service delivery
218. The abrupt U.S. decision in 2018 to cut off its financial contribution to UNRWA has severely hampered
UNRWA s apa it to dis ha ge its a date, as a e p essio of the i te atio al o
u it s
responsibility toward the Palestinian refugees.
205
Such responsibility remains unaffected, until a just
and lasting political solution in line with international law is found.
219. The U.S. was the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA for decades (with projected funding of $364 million
i
, o e i g ea l a ua te of the age
s udget. As a esult of the d a ati U.S. de isio ,
UNRWA was forced to undertake extraordinary efforts to seek funds from other donors including Gulf
countries and the EU. While in the short run the Agency was able to close the resulting funding gap
from the U.S. budget cuts, it had to substantially reduce its services to millions of Palestinian refugees
across all of its five fields and many programs.
220. In a region ravaged by conflict and instability, the U.S. budget cuts has had a direct impact on
UNRWA s apa it to se e its egiste ed Palesti e efugees i its a ea of ope atio s.
206
The U.S.
o t i utio se ed to sustai UNRWA s o e a d e e ge
p og a s that a e esse tial, especially
in
the war-torn areas where the Agency operates, where refugee dependency on assistance is
particularly high. Pressured by the lack of funds, the Agency had no alternative but to suspending
some of its emergency relief programs, including essential food and cash distribution to the poorest of
A note on the terminology used in this paper: commonly, disti
tio is d a
et ee the te s Palesti e a d Palesti ia
efugee, he e the fo e efe s to efugees u de UNRWA s a date a d the latte efe s to efugees
from Palestine of Arab
origin only: in 1948 refugees from Palestine included a dozen different nationalities all of whom received immediate UN assistance
and attention (Takkenberg: 1998). The
te
Palesti ia efugees o p ises all pe so s of A a
origin who were displaced from
the territory of the former British Mandate Palestine, but also from the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem that Israel
occupied in 1967, and their descendants, for whom a solution in line with UN resolutions is still to be found. In UN resolutions, they
a e efe ed to as Palesti e efugees a d
displa ed espe ti el . I the pape , the te
Palesti e efugee is used
when
efe i g to UNRWA s a date i a te h i al se se o l .
206
UNRWA also provides assistance to (some) Palestinians who were displaced from the West Bank and Gaza (mostly to Jordan)
he Is ael o upied those te ito ies i
. These pe so s, ho a e efe ed to as
displa ed a e efugees fo the purpose
of international law. However, UNRWA has never extended all of its services (including registration)
–
and the General Assembly
has e e e te ded UNRWA s a date –
to this group; significant protection concerns exist for them in UNRWA area of
operations, owing to their precarious status in the host countries. Like those who became refugees in 1948, they are persons for
whom a solution is still to be found in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, e.g. UNGA Resolution 194 of 1948, Resolution 302
of 1949, Resolution 2252 of 1967, and UNSC Resolution 237 of 1967.
205
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the poor; to cut some jobs
207
and reduce much-needed services in communities that are experiencing
severe hardship. This has somewhat affected the relationship between UNRWA and the refugees, who
have resented (and often protested) the reduction of services. A pressing concern, moving forward, is
hat s goi g to happe to the half a illio hild e atte di g UNRWA s
s hools as edu atio
a ou ts fo app o i atel fo t pe e t of the age
s udget a d ost
of its staff.
221.
A a ea he e the i pa t of the U.S. fu di g ut as i
ediatel felt as UNRWA s p ote tio
function, seventy per cent of whose budget was funded by the U.S.
208
A third of protection staff
positions were discontinued in 2018. While UNRWA
est u tu ed its p ote tio fu tio ithi the
a aila le udget a d efo used st ategi p ote tio p io ities, it is u disputa le that su h a iti al
area, which was in fact in continuous need to be strengthened, has dramatically been reduced at the
detriment of the refugees.
209
This is all the more evident in the following contexts in the face of
burgeoning attacks by the IDF in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) - and also by settlers in the
West Bank - and the increasing precarity of Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem; owing to the
discrimination and lack of coping mechanisms endured by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; and last
but not least, the growing protection needs of impoverished, traumatized and often displaced
Palestinian refugees
i S ia. Would a o e e pe t UNHCR to ope ate usi ess as usual ith its e
protection functions significantly hampered by budget cuts?
222.
Last ut ot least, the udget uts, hi h efle ted a e poli of the U.S. to a ds UNRWA
(accused of
pe petuati g the e iste e of Palesti ia efugees a d he e ei g pa t of the p o le
—
rather than part of the solution
—
between Israelis and Palestinians),
210
has cast uncertainty and
confusion over the future of both the Agency and refugees (see also para.12, below).
UNRWA fields affected by the budget cuts
223. The cuts occurred in 2018, after which UNRWA was forced to painfully adapt. In the immediate
aftermath of the budget cuts, the West Bank and Gaza Strip appeared to be the most affected areas as
the
U.S. Go e
e t had ee the la gest fu de of the UNRWA oPt E e ge
Appeal . This p o ed
to e the ost ul e a le pa t of the Age
s ope atio s as the Age
st uggled to o pe sate the
211
lack of U.S. funds by other sources of funding.
224. As of 2018, the U.S. fund cuts became emblematic of a wider funding crisis in UNRWA. This
accelerated an erosion of services that have become increasingly difficult for UNRWA to fund. The
It is i po ta t to highlight that o e tha
% of UNRWA s ,
staff a e Palesti ia efugees the sel es o ki g as do to
s,
nurses, teachers, sanitation labors and administrators. In the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) UNRWA is the second largest
employer of Palestinians after the Palestinian Authority.
208
UNRWA Annual Report for the reporting period 01 January
–
31 December 2018, 2019.
209
Ibid.
210
This issue is dis ussed i Al a ese, F. UNRWA, Ne Atta ks, Ne Challe ges
, IPS Current Issue Series,
Oct 2018.
211
A number of emergency services were cut as a result and also those staff who were paid through this modality lost their jobs or
were put on temporary contracts.
207
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fields who are currently the most adversely impacted by this financial crisis are those where
e efi ia ies a e ost a utel i eed of the Age
s se i es, i ludi g f o a p ote tio
perspective.
225. In the oPt (Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem), the refugees are highly dependent on
UNRWA both for financial support, owing to the tight grip of the occupation of the Palestinian
economy, and for protection. This applies to the West Bank/East Jerusalem, given the severity of the
attacks by Israeli forces and settlers alike against the Palestinian civilian population; and all the more
to the Gaza Strip owing to the blockade, which has now entered its 13th year, and the frequent
military operations by Israel.
226.
I Le a o , he e Palesti ia efugees a e highl dis i i ated a d a gi alized, UNRWA s losses a e
particularly felt by the refugees as the whole country is on a downward economic spiral. In recent
years, there was a sharp uptick in the number of Palestinian refugees leaving Lebanon illegally for
Europe. Many have been taking extremely dangerous routes to escape the hellish reality of Lebanon
where Palestine refugees are: effectively discriminated out of the labour market, prevented from
accessing essential services that UNRWA does not provide (e.g. specialized health care) and, in a
number of cases even deprived of freedom of movement. For instance, in south Lebanon some camps
are effectively closed-off areas encircled by walls and checkpoints and it is hard if not impossible for
camp residents to come in and out; amidst poverty and lack of security, camps constitute the facto
state of e eptio s , as e o ed so iologist Sa i Ha afi alls the , as Le a ese autho ities do ot
exert any authority in camps. In this situation, UNRWA services would need to be significantly boosted.
227. The situation is even direr in Syria, a country trapped in a nine-year-long violent war, with 90 per cent
of Palesti e efugees a e depe de t o UNRWA s se i es, a d a e e posed to isk a d
severe
p ote tio th eats. He e, UNRWA s st o g p ese e ould e all the o e eeded to so that
Palestinians are protected and not further displaced.
Other recent external factors (security, political etc.) preventing UNRWA from delivering its services
across the five fields of operation
228. There are three sets of factors external to UNRWA that affect its operations.
229.
The fi st fa to elates to the i eased hostilit
the U.S. to a ds UNRWA s a date hi h has
ate ialized th ough the T u p ad i ist atio s ithd a al of U.S. fu ds to the age
a d its
political attacks against UNRWA (i.e. that UNRWA perpetuates the refugee crisis by registering
illegiti ate efugees, a el des e da ts –
who are in fact refugees under international law as in
any protracted refugee situation).
212
These direct and indirect attacks, which have continued unabated
since 2018, have fostered a climate of uncertainty that is damaging both to the Agency and Palestinian
refugees globally. Particularly, it distracts from the reality that both the protracted nature of the
Palesti ia efugee situatio a d the o fli t o e Palesti e e ui e a politi al esol e i li e ith
212
See source at fn.217.
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i te atio al la . This goes e o d UNRWA s fu tio s: hile UNRWA
this structural political failure, it is certainly not its cause.
a sta d as a s
pto
of
230. The second factor pertains to political and securit
i u sta es i UNRWA s a ea of ope atio s,
hi h i ease the efugees de a d o the age , oth f o its o e p og a s edu atio , health
and relief) and in terms of extra services needed to help the refugees cope with exceptional
circumstances.
231. In the oPt, the occupation has turned increasingly hostile against Palestinians including Palestinian
efugees esidi g i the a ea, a d that has se e el ha ed UNRWA s se i es. I the West Ba k, the
ualit of UNRWA s se i es is egati el affe ted
the very nature of the occupation, together with
the restrictions and limitations it imposes. Most UNRWA beneficiaries live in areas that are under
Israeli military/security control (areas B and C), which are significantly impacted by Israeli policies,
IDF
s i u sio s a d settle s atta ks alike e.g. o e e t est i tio s, ho e de olitio s, dest u tio
of livelihood).
232. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities are increasingly obstructing UNRWA from fulfilling its mandate.
Recently, the local municipality has been providing services at Palestinian refugee camps, such as
sa itatio o k, o the lai that Je usale is o lo ge di ided et ee East a d West follo i g
the Trump recognition of the holy city as the undivided capital of Israel. These actions, which runs
against international will as well as UNRWA-Is
aeli ag ee e t dati g a k to
, feeds efugees fea
that UNRWA will be dismantled, creating tension and furthering a sense of marginalization among the
refugees.
233. In the Gaza Strip, the severity of the occupation is compounded by the 13 year old blockade, which
severely restricts movement of goods in and out of the Strip and virtually prohibits movement of
people across the border, and recurrent military operations, which destroy life and livelihood.
234.
I S ia, the o fli t is a ajo i hi iti g fa to , as UNRWA a t p o ide se i es i the iddle of
active hostilities or in areas where access is severely restricted or prohibited. Even though the Syrian
Government has successfully recaptured the vast majority of the country, many areas with significant
Palestinian refugee population remain inaccessible to UNRWA, thereby deepening the plight of this
group. All the more, given the prevailing (security) environment, it may be very challenging for UNRWA
to exercise its protection function toward the refugees in an unfettered manner.
235. Finally, in Lebanon, while UNRWA is able to provide services inside Palestinian camps (for the most
pa t, e ept he i il a fla es et ee fa tio s , the age
s i a ility
to leverage on Lebanese
government's systems hinders its service delivery. All the more, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon,
because of their status and general conditions, are often exposed to abuse and mistreatment by
Lebanese authority without possibility to meaningful/systematic access to legal aid and justice. About
,
Palesti ia efugees a e also u do u e ted so alled o
-IDs
, the efo e at o ti uous isk of
arrest and detention because they are considered illegally present in the country. How can UNRWA
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deliver its mandate effectively to this highly at risk population, when the general environment itself is
not conducive?
236. The final factor concerns the continuous failure of the international community to deal with the
political dimension of the
Palesti ia efugee uestio a d Is ael s i pu it . Fa i g the deepe i g of
the hu a ita ia
isis a o g Palesti ia efugees i UNRWA s a ea of ope atio s, this foste s a se se
of marginalization and distrust among the refugees (half of whom are youth) vis-à-vis the international
community. Despite this factors is external to UNRWA, it also feeds a sense of dissatisfaction against
UNRWA among Palestinian refugees (who feel abandoned amidst, and threatened by, the continuous
attacks against UNRWA).
237. These external factors risk compromising the present and future of UNRWA and, with it, of the
Palestinian refugees. This requires a concerted effort by the international community to sustain
UNRWA at such a critical moment. Lack of funds risks to vanish any opportunity for UNRWA to make a
difference, pending a just and lasting solution for Palestinian refugees.
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Appendix 2: Terms of Reference
a. Eligibility, registration and documents
1.
Perso s eligi le to re eive UNRWA’s servi es
1.1. Eligibility criteria
1.2. Possibility to receive services in all UNRWA areas of operation (Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West
Bank)
2. Registration and transfer of registration
2.1. Registration requirements for registered refugees
2.2.
Regist atio e ui e e ts fo pe so s ho do ot eet UNRWA s
Palestine Refugee criteria
2.3. Possibility of registration for descendants of persons who did not register with UNRWA despite
being able to do so
2.4.
Possi ilit of egist atio fo pe so s li i g outside of UNRWA s a eas of ope atio
2.5. Transfer of registration to another UNRWA area of operation
3. UNRWA documents
3.1. Family registration card
3.1.1. Transfer or issuing of new family registration cards (e.g. in case of marriage or divorce)
3.2. Other important documents
3.3. Possibility of obtaining documents online
3.4. Possibility of re-obtaining documents in case they have been lost
3.5. Meaning of numbers and codes on documents
3.6. Prevalence of document fraud
b. Services
4. Availability of core services
4.1. Impact of external factors on the availability of core services (security, budget cuts etc.)
4.1.1. Relief and Social services
4.1.2. Education services
4.1.3. Health services
4.1.4. Infrastructure and Camp Improvements
4.2. Protection
c. Access to Jordan for Palestinians
5. Entry and re-entry requirements
5.1. Access for Palestinians from Jordan (non-citizens)
5.2.
A ess fo Palesti ia s f o UNRWA s
other areas of operation (Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank)
5.3.
A ess fo Palesti ia s f o outside of UNRWA s a eas of ope atio eg. Alge ia, Li a
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