In fact, I made this post exactly ten years ago to describe the difference between UNRWA and a real refugee agency:
Mo Ghaoul, a naturalized American citizen, went to UNRWA to ask for two things: one, how to register his American-born child as a "refugee," and the other is how to delist himself as a refugee.
They asked for a certified birth certificate and other paperwork (the person handling it was on break).I didn’t push. Said I’d consider.I was encouraged to register ; there's a $50/child incentive.[But this "bonus" is rare; most people get nothing. When it does happen, it’s like a once-a-year Christmas gift.]2. Removing refugee status:I asked to strike my refugee records. They said:“You can go to the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development to remove your national data. But here at UNRWA, we’ll just update your nationality.”I pushed back:I’m naturalized. I still hold a Palestinian Authority passport, and I do not want to remove my Palestinian registration just that I no longer identify as a refugee.Their reply?“We have no process to delete records. Why remove it? It doesn’t harm you.”I explained my reasons, but the answer was the same. There’s no form, no request, no path.They just said: Let it go.(Kindly, but clearly unsure themselves as they’re local employees.)
It's nice to know that when I couldn't find cessation clauses in UNRWA documentation, it was because they don't exist.
|
"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
 |
Buy