Jerusalem Interior Ministry
declares new visa policy for spouses of Jerusalem residents
Since February 1994, the
Interior Ministry has been issuing six month renewable visas/visit permits
to non-resident spouses (holders of foreign passports or West Bank/Gaza
IDs) of Jerusalem residents following their application for family reunification.
This new measure will hopefully provide relief to many couples who have
had to live with the fear that one of the spouses would be arrested due
to his/her illegal presence in Jerusalem. (With the current strict military
closure of Jerusalem, illegal residence is the only option for non-resident
members of Palestinian families in the city) However, this is still only
a very minor measure, unable to correct even the most urgent humanitarian
problems of Palestinian families in the city. The new permits are valid
until the couple receives the Ministry’s answer to their application for
family reunification. Since the Ministry’s traditional policy of refusing
applications especially those of husbands of Jerusalem residents, has remained
unchanged, all these couples will again face the choice of whether to live
in the city illegally or to leave and forfeit their right to live in Jerusalem. |