Palestinian Citizenship Order 1925
The Palestinian Citizenship Order 1925[1][2][3] was a law of Mandatory Palestine that created a Palestinian citizenship for residents of the territory of Palestine Mandate. It was promulgated on 24 July 1925 and came into force on 1 August 1925.[4] The Order remained in effect until 14 May 1948, when the British withdrew from the Mandate, and Palestinian citizenship came to an end.[5] Israel enacted a Citizenship Law in 1952, while West Bank residents came under Jordan’s nationality law.
Territorial extent
24 July 1925
1 August 1925
Foreign Jurisdiction Act 1890
The law gave effect to Article 7 of the Mandate for Palestine, which stated:
It also gave effect to the Treaty of Lausanne, which came into force on 6 August 1924, and stated that the Ottoman nationals who were "habitually residents" of what became Palestine "will become ipso facto" nationals of that territory.[6]
The Order granted Palestinian citizenship to "Turkish subjects habitually resident in the territory of Palestine upon the 1st day of August, 1925".[4] Transjordan was specifically excluded.[4] Under some circumstances citizenship was also conferred on some persons habitually resident abroad, as well as the children or wife of a Palestinian man.[4] The Order contained no test based on race or religion, except that people in the non-majority race could opt out of Palestinian citizenship if they were accepted by another state in which their race was a majority.[4]
Ottoman citizenship arose from the Ottoman Nationality Law of 1869, which created a common Ottoman citizenship irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliation.
Under the Order, Palestinian citizenship could be acquired by:[3]
Palestinian citizens had the right of abode in Palestine, but were not British subjects, and were instead considered British protected persons.