Jordan: Discrimination against Palestinians
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JOR1642 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jordan: Discrimination against Palestinians, 1 July 1989, JOR1642, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2c28.html [accessed 23 November 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1. Information on the rights and protection afforded to Palestinians from the West Bank, by Jordan:
The majority of the Jordanian population is Palestinian. Up until King Hussein's declaration on 31 July 1988 stating that Jordan would no longer attempt to administer the Israeli-occupied West Bank [ Keesing's Record of World Events 1988 (August 1988) p. 36120.] Palestinians in the West Bank were granted Jordanian citizenship and 5-year passports. [ Information received from Professor John Sigler of Carleton University, 18 April 1989.] In August 1988, a senior advisor to Hussein stated that "We do not consider West Bankers any longer Jordanians. We have to mark their passport in such a way that it will say so." [ Youssef M Ibrahim: "Hussein is Frosty on New PLO Role" in The New York Times (8 August 1988).] Palestinians in the West Bank are now granted a temporary passport valid for two years but are not permitted residence anywhere in Jordan, even if they are married to a Jordanian citizen. [ Information received from the Palestine Information Office, 18 April 1989.]
Before the 31 July 1988 announcement, Jordan provided numerous public services to the West Bank, including schools, hospitals, road maintenance, mosques, and religious endowments. [John Kifner: "Hussein's Slap at PLO" in The New York Times (2 August 1988).] Seemingly in preparation for the announcement, on 30 July 1988, Jordan dissolved its lower house of parliament, half the members of which were representatives from the West Bank. Prior to this it had cancelled a development plan for the West Bank. [ "Hussein dissolves parliament" in The Toronto Star (31 July 1988).]
The July announcement also led to the firing of employees and the dismantling of agencies dealing with the West Bank. On 4 August 1988, Jordan dismissed 21,000 West Bank employees, 6,000 of whom depended solely on Jordanian salaries for their income. [Hugh Schofield: "Jordan fires, retires thousands in West Bank" in The Globe and Mail (5 August 1988).] On 6 August 1988, the Occupied Territories Ministry was dissolved [ "Jordan Shuts Office in Charge of West Bank" in The New York Times (7 August 1988).] These moves were reported to have represented a cut of at least $30 million in Jordanian assistance to the West Bank. [Kifner, "Hussein's Slap".] It was also reported that Jordan's total assistance to the area had been $50 million. [ "Where Jordan has left the West Bank" in the Globe and Mail (3 August 1988).]
