Palestinian refugees in Iraq deprived of right to 'own taxis'

Palestinian refugees in Iraq are shocked at the disclosure of new legislation banning them from owning taxis, which form the means to a livelihood for many Palestinians in the country.

The legislation, detailed in a document from Iraq's Interior Ministry, clarifies that this does not prevent them from working "freelance" as taxi drivers.

According to the document issued in October, a copy of which was obtained by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister edition, non-Iraqis – including Palestinian refugees – are prohibited from "owning taxis" although they can own private cars.

"The tightening restrictions around Palestinian refugees in Iraq continues," says Hassan Khaled, a Palestinian activist in Iraq, adding: "Every day there's a new decision."

Khaled explains that the Palestinian population in Iraq has dropped from 35,000 pre-2003 to only 6,000 today.

"The systematic legal discrimination against Palestinians in Iraq is evident – from cancelling Resolution 202 and depriving families of retired employees pension rights, to leaving Palestinians out of the compensation [scheme] for victims of terrorism, to depriving them of ownership rights – even of a home to live in," says Khaled.

He says Palestinians even face losing their status as refugees if they leave the country for over a month, and have no right to travel overland.

The prohibition on owning their own taxis is just the most recent of these restrictions, he says.

Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Palestinians lost many of the protections they had historically enjoyed in the country.

Resolution 202, passed in 2001 had provided Palestinian refugees with all the benefits Iraqi nationals were entitled to, other than obtaining nationality.

These rights had included access to free healthcare and education, as well as state jobs and pension rights.

However, it was repealed in 2017, stripping Palestinians in Iraq of protections they had had for decades.

Iraqi departments and institutions took further harsh measures against Palestinians in 2018. A monthly ration card that was granted to Palestinians was withdrawn, which left many families trapped in poverty.

Retirement benefits for families of deceased Palestinians were also withheld, and Palestinians have since had to pay hefty fees for healthcare.

Exempting Palestinians in Iraq from being covered by Law 21, which deals with compensation for victims of terrorism and crimes committed by US forces during the occupation has been regarded one of the biggest blows to the Palestinian diaspora in the country.

This article is based on an article which appeared in our Arabic edition by Mohamed Albasiem on 13 November 2024. To read the original article click here.