Right To Enter: Protecting Foreign Passport Holders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt)

1. www.righttoenter.ps info@righttoenter.ps

2. Right To Enter is a grassroots Campaign for the protection of foreign passport holders residing in or visiting the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

3. Who We Are We are a volunteer group of individuals and families affected by the current Israeli occupation authorities' policy regarding entry and residing in the oPt

4. The ENTRY ISSUE • Entry Denial • Who is affected? • Visa / permit / residency

5. Entry Denial The Israeli occupation authorities are systematically and/or arbitrarily denying entry or re-entry to the oPt via the exclusively Israeli controlled borders: Ben Gurion Airport Allenby Bridge Sheikh Hussein Bridge Taba Bridge Eilat

6. Who Is Affected? Residents of and visitors to the OPT (Gaza Strip and West Bank/East Jerusalem) who do not hold a Palestinian ID issued by the Israeli Ministry of Interior

7. Who is being denied entry? • Immediate and Extended family (support system and social security) • Professionals and experts • Educators and students • Investors and businessmen • Tourists • Clergy and charity • INGO and NGO staff (B1/B2 visas)

8. Visa/permit/residency issue • Family unification and population registry • Ethnic discrimination • PA only visa • Duration of visas and permits • Consequences

9. Family unification The Israeli Occupation Authorities determine whether or not you are a Palestinianwhether or not you exist • Palestinian ID is a personal identification document issued by Israel for Palestinian residents and their children living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip • Israel controls the population registry of the occupied Palestinian population, determining who has a legal identity:No births, marriages or deaths are recognized unless recorded by Israeli computers

10. Ethnic Discrimination • A TOURIST VISA is issued to citizens of Western countries • An entry PERMIT is issued to citizens of Arab countries and non-Western countries • Foreign nationals of Palestinian/Arab descent or carrying names similar to Arab names are favorite targets for denied entry treatment • Collective punishment is imposed on Palestinianswhose relatives have ‘overstayed’ their visa

11. PA only visas • Limit the access to the West Bank areas B and C • Do not allow to visit East Jerusalem • In contrast, some visitors are issued “Israel only” visas, preventing them from visiting family and friends in the West Bank

12. Duration of visas and permits • Israeli authorities are issuing visas of shorter duration to those intending to travel to, work and/or reside in the oPt • The duration of visas issued to those granted entry is determined without clear reason or explanation • Permit and visa validity ends upon exit from Israel

13. Consequences • Families are torn apart • Fear of a subsequent denial of entry has caused Palestinian foreign passport holders to forgo - health care treatments- family visits- education & training - economic development activities

14. Consequences • Palestinian investors and business people from the Diaspora are discouraged from building their country • Brain drain: educated Palestinian youth will seek a more secure life in more “appreciative” host countries • Foreign experts in health, education and development are discouraged from coming to the oPt

15. What does the Campaign do? 1- Collect evidence and document cases of entry denial and deportations 2- Generate and disseminate documents: position papers; monthly updates; press releases; generic and personal letters of appeal against Israeli practices

16. 3- Mobilize action against the Israeli practice of family separation and denying entry to foreign experts and supporters to the oPt with • Palestinian Authority (president and relevant officials) and educational institutions • Third State Representatives, Quartet, special missions - more recently: PA-only visas, B1/B2 visas

17. Human Rights Organizations Faith-based institutions (clergy) International Organizations (Amnesty International, UN - Access and Movement)

18. 4- Reach out to and mobilize the local community and affected persons to stand up for their rights 5- Publicize the issue through national and international media  channels 6-Launch an international legal and political campaign to stop and reverse these  Israeli policies and practices:

19. We urge Third States to promote Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Lawto protect the Palestinian population • under occupation • Immediate halt to Israel’s arbitrary and abusive practice of denying entry to foreign nationals traveling to the oPt • Vigorous scrutiny to cases of denied entry and denied residency in the oPt

20. … and to promote the • Duty of all states not to acquiesce to internationally unlawful acts by Israel • Reciprocity of treatment of nationals: treatment accorded Israeli nationals seeking to enter third countries must be reciprocated to their own nationals seeking to enter Israel or the oPt

21. Campaign Achievements • publicizing the entry issues through local and international media – print, TV and radio

23. Achievements…more “Israeli Committee for Residency Rights” / ICRR, supports the Campaign by • Meeting with foreign missions in Tel Aviv • Raising awareness and lobbying with Israeli politicians on the issue • Mobilizing Israeli educators to support the right to education in the oPt

24. Achievements… more • Joint demarches by foreign missions with Israeli MOFA • Israeli MOFA to respond in writing to foreign embassies Encouraging denied persons to repeat entry attempts when denied…often successful

25. Achievements …more • Israeli CoGAT to respond in writing to the Palestinian Authority (reversal of last permits) • Family unification process was resumed – temporarily at least – and some 35,000 families are back together • Persons denied entry protest and return ……. often successful!

26. The challenge remainsJoin the Campaign for the Right to Enter!