Law No. 260 of 1956 on the rights of Palestinians

This law entitles registered Palestinians to rights in relation to residence, movement, work, trade, and access to civil service matters. Palestinians registered with the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees (GAPAR) are issued identity cards upon reaching the age of 14, as is the case for Syrian nationals.[1]

In accordance with the Protocol for the Treatment of Palestinians in Arab countries, Palestinian nationality is preserved for Palestinians in order to protect their future right of return to Palestine. Consequently, Palestinians cannot become naturalized Syrian nationals, despite the length of time they have spent in the country. Children of Palestinian fathers and Syrian mothers will acquire the Palestinian nationality of the father and must be registered with GAPAR. There are also an unknown number of Palestinians that remain unregistered or are ineligible for registration with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

[1] For more information, see “Palestinian Refugees in Syria Waiting for a Just Solution,” Echoes from Syria Issue 12, Protection and Community Services Sector Inside Syria, https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/ECHOES_Issue12.pdf.