Professor Are Knudsen has observed that discrimination is not just societal, but imposed by the Lebanese Government to prevent integration of Palestinian refugees.54 The Lebanese Government does not allow construction of new refugee camps, which has led to serious overcrowding and poor conditions in existing camps.55 Palestinians previously living in Syria face even more difficulties than other Palestinians trying to enter and/or live in Lebanon. Palestinians have faced changeable conditions at Lebanese borders in recent years. Researcher Tom Rollins confirmed in a March 2021 report that the Lebanese borders have been mostly closed to Palestinians from Syria since 2014, unless they had proof of an appointment at an embassy (for family reunion in a third country) or a visa and flight booked for travel to a third country. Few Palestinians from Syria are currently permitted to enter Lebanon lawfully, and only if they can pay a US $200 fee, which many cannot afford. Even some Palestinians coming from Syria with confirmation of a refugee family reunion appointment at an embassy in Lebanon have been denied entry into Lebanon. Palestinians from Syria who do enter Lebanon also face even more difficulties in daily life than those faced by Palestinians who are long-term residents in Lebanon. Palestinians from Syria who are unlawfully present in Lebanon experience harsh living conditions and are sometimes forcibly expelled to Syria.56 Jordan: Approximately 3 million Palestinians live in Jordan, of which about 2.2 million are registered with UNRWA in Jordan.57 Most Palestinians in Jordan have been permitted to acquire Jordanian nationality, but thousands have been subsequently stripped of Jordanian nationality at various times, and approximately 150,000 Palestinians in Jordan, most from Gaza, have been denied Jordanian nationality.58 It was difficult for Palestinian refugees from Syria and Lebanon to get permission to enter Jordan prior to 2011 and is even more difficult now. As a result of the conflict in Syria, Jordan has largely closed its borders to Palestinians from Syria, and some who managed to enter have been returned to Syria.59 Within Jordan, many Palestinians face discrimination and serious hardships. There are poor living and working standards in the refugee camps, which worsened during the pandemic, when many people lost jobs.60 Palestinians from Gaza face particular challenges in Jordan. They are not permitted to work in many professions, vote, or own property, and many are granted only temporary residence permits. The costs of residence permits, work permits, and other necessary documentation has increased exponentially in recent years and are unaffordable for many. Those without the necessary documents are not permitted to access education and other key services.61 UNRWA records the presence of Palestine refugees from Syria in Jordan and Lebanon as “Palrefs-Syria” but does not register them in the country in the way other Palestinians are registered. Since UNRWA’s budget allocation is based on the number of registered refugees in each country, registration determines their access to services and assistance. In both Lebanon and Jordan, Palestinians may have varying statuses, including “unregistered” and “non-ID” depending on when and from which country/territory they arrived, and their status determines what benefits and provisions they may receive.62 54 Are Knudsen, ‘Widening the Protection Gap: The ‘Politics of Citizenship’ for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon, 1948–2008’ Journal of Refugee Studies (Vol. 22, No. 1, 2009) 68 (‘In Lebanon, domestic legal discrimination against the refugees was instituted in the 1960s and refined after 1990, robbing them of basic civic rights.’) 55 Akram, ‘UNRWA and Palestine Refugees’ (2021), n 7, 655. 56 See Rollins, n 38, Ss. 1-3. 57 Minority Rights Group (MRG), Jordan: Palestinians, https://minorityrights.org/minorities/palestinians-2/#:~:text=There%20 are%20around%20three%20million,is%20thought%20to%20be%20higher [accessed 30 June 2022]. 58 MRG, ibid. 59 Rollins, n 38, S. 2. 60 Cevdet Acu, ‘Forgotten Palestinian Refugees in Jordan during the COVID-19 Crisis’ (University of Oxford Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, 11 Nov 2020) https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/2020/forgotten-palestinian-refugees-in-jordon-during-thecovid19-crisis/ [accessed 30 June 2022]. 61 Mohammad Ayesh, ‘Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are suffering in Jordan’ (Middle East Monitor, 21 Feb 21, 2017) https:// www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170221-palestinians-from-the-gaza-strip-are-suffering-in-jordan/ [accessed 30 June 2022]. 62 Note from Professor Susan Akram to Cynthia Orchard, 18 Dec 2021. 10