Nationality and Cases of Statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa Protocol where a regional no naturalization policy was adopted. This protocol emphasised that Palestinians should retain their Palestinian identity. It set out criteria on the treatment of Palestinian refugees – i.e. which rights should be guaranteed to Palestinians, including access to employment and the right to leave and enter their country of residence – all “whilst retaining their Palestinian nationality”, which most states interpreted as a prohibition against naturalizing Palestinian refugees. Therefore, as a result of the discriminatory Israeli nationality legislation64 and actions, displacement, and the continuing policy of no-naturalisation by States in the region, there are millions of stateless Palestinians across the MENA. Their treatment and access to rights in the region, although varying, has often been dire. Exact statistics are, again, difficult to determine. The total number of Palestinians registered with UNRWA is just under 5.5 million. However these are not all stateless (as some have acquired a foreign nationality) and then there are those who are not registered with UNRWA. Estimates have stated that approximately 5 million stateless Palestinians worldwide.65 64 - See for example article 2 of Israel: Nationality Law, 5712-1952,  14 July 1953, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b4ec20.htm that specifies Jewish emigrants to Israel are automatically Israeli 65 - For more information please see p127 Institute on Statelessness and 54