AMMAN, Jordan, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Jordanian newspapers said Sunday the government has canceled plans to grant citizenship to Palestinian men married to Jordanian women.
The newspapers quoted Interior Minister Samir Habashneh as saying during a Saturday seminar on the 2007 legislative elections that the government studied the numbers and records when the idea of granting the Palestinian husbands of Jordanian women was considered.
He said the records showed there were 80,000 Jordanian women married to foreigners, including 60,000 to Palestinians.
Habashneh said since there was an average of 6.5 members per family, that meant "granting citizenship to almost half a million Palestinians ... is not within the government's plans and capabilities."
Two years ago, the Jordanian government said it intended, for humanitarian reasons, to grant citizenship to the husbands and children of Jordanian women married to Palestinian men and that a decision would be made to that effect after studying the matter.
The idea angered many Jordanians who said such a move would make the kingdom an "alternative homeland" for the stateless Palestinians.
