Family Unifications

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Since the Second Intifada, the Citizenship Law has made it more difficult than ever for Palestinians to become permanent residents or citizens of Israel. As a result, those from the West Bank attempting to obtain residency or citizenship must meet an extensive set of criteria, while for Arabs from a number of countries, including from the Gaza Strip, this has been banned outright. In addition, the practice of retracting the permits of current Arab residents, particularly of East Jerusalem, has made it increasingly challenging for those who have received permanent residence status to maintain it. Ultimately, both of these policies threaten most prominently the process of family unification.

ACRI has petitioned against the Citizenship Law on the grounds that it is blatantly discriminatory and that it uses the guise of security to solve what the state sees as a demographic problem. ACRI has also challenged the policy of retracting permits of permanent residents, especially those residing in East Jerusalem, arguing that the current policy in effect imprisons residents if they want to maintain their status.