Casablanca Protocol

The Casablanca Protocol, formally the Protocol for the Treatment of Palestinians in Arab States, was a statement by the Arab League on 11 September 1965, made at the 1965 Arab League summit in Casablanca, Morocco. The statement, in five articles, sought to regularize the legal protections for Palestinian refugees residing in the countries of the Arab World.^[1]

Although focused on refugees, the protocol does not use the term, referring only to "Palestinians"; this was apparently intended to align the treatment of those Palestinians who did not gain the status of refugee under UNRWA.^[2]

The Protocol was intended to regulate Palestinians' right to work on par with citizens of the states in which they live, and their freedom of movement (i.e. their right to leave and to return, and the issuance of travel documents).^[3]

Although it is the only "binding" instrument of the Arab League addressing the status of Palestinian refugees, its implementation was inconsistent, and it was effectively revoked in 1991.^[4]^[5]

^ Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 188.
^ Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 188a: "Deviating from the language used in earlier resolutions, which referred to Palestinian ‘refugees’, the Protocol refers to ‘Palestinians’. The change was apparently the result of a realization that the legal position of non-refugee Palestinians (i.e. persons who were not displaced in 1948 such as those originating from what at present constitutes the occupied Palestinian territory [oPt]) is much the same as that of those who had become refugees in 1948–1949 (i.e. those who sought refuge in a host country and then migrated). Both categories were perceived to be equally in need of the protection provided for in the Protocol."
^ Albanese & Takkenberg 2020.
^ Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 193: "There are no other binding regional instruments addressing the status of refugees in MENA"
^ Shiblak 1996, p. 42: "For some time, the Arab states on an individual basis had been annulling by administrative decree the rights accorded the Palestinians under the Casablanca Protocol; after the Gulf War, this trend culminated in the adoption by the host countries of Arab League Resolution 5093 officially revoking the protocol, which has been superseded by the internal laws of each host state."

[FOOTNOTEAlbaneseTakkenberg2020188-1] Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 188.

[FOOTNOTEAlbaneseTakkenberg2020188a-2] Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 188a: "Deviating from the language used in earlier resolutions, which referred to Palestinian ‘refugees’, the Protocol refers to ‘Palestinians’. The change was apparently the result of a realization that the legal position of non-refugee Palestinians (i.e. persons who were not displaced in 1948 such as those originating from what at present constitutes the occupied Palestinian territory [oPt]) is much the same as that of those who had become refugees in 1948–1949 (i.e. those who sought refuge in a host country and then migrated). Both categories were perceived to be equally in need of the protection provided for in the Protocol."

[FOOTNOTEAlbaneseTakkenberg2020-3] Albanese & Takkenberg 2020.

[FOOTNOTEAlbaneseTakkenberg2020193-4] Albanese & Takkenberg 2020, p. 193: "There are no other binding regional instruments addressing the status of refugees in MENA"

[FOOTNOTEShiblak199642-5] Shiblak 1996, p. 42: "For some time, the Arab states on an individual basis had been annulling by administrative decree the rights accorded the Palestinians under the Casablanca Protocol; after the Gulf War, this trend culminated in the adoption by the host countries of Arab League Resolution 5093 officially revoking the protocol, which has been superseded by the internal laws of each host state."

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]