Migration, Forced Displacement, Asylum, and statelessness in the Arab World

The Migration and Refugees Forum for the Arab World (MARFA) strongly denounces Israel’s recent decision to ban UNRWA operations in occupied Palestinian territories and label the agency as a terrorist organization. This is a deliberate attack on the rights of Palestinian refugees and an egregious violation of the UN Charter (Article 105), the Convention on Privileges and Immunities, and UN Security Council Resolutions. This move not only blocks essential services—including education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid—for millions of Palestinian refugees across all occupied territories but also seeks to undermine their legal status and rights, particularly the inalienable right of return reaffirmed in UN Resolution 194 and others that followed.

The Migration and Refugee Forum in the Arab World condemns the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East, marked by new waves of forced displacement and the escalation of conflicts that are resulting in unprecedented levels of human suffering. The ongoing wars, political instability, and targeted acts of violence are displacing thousands of civilians, creating an urgent and deepening humanitarian crisis across the region.

We, the undersigned human rights organizations, draw the attention of United Nations (UN) member states to Israel’s cataclysmic forced displacement of Palestinians in and from Gaza, the West Bank, and South Lebanon.

Jordan, a nation characterized by a diverse population shaped by various migration movements, has witnessed a concerning trend of illegal emigration among its citizens, particularly in the wake of the Arab Uprisings in the past decade and most recently the regional turmoil in 2023/2024.