Palestinian refugees in Jordan

Sir, – Michael Jansen is restating the myth that there are two million Palestinian refugees living in Jordan ("Kingdom feels in strong position over prospect of annexation", World, July 24th).

Some 70 per cent of these two million are Jordanian citizens and most are descendants of people who arrived in Jordan or via the West Bank (which was occupied by Jordan between 1947 and 1967), and they have known no other country. It is only the self-serving and self-perpetuating United Nations Relief and Works Agency that classes them as refugees.

Some may be entitled to compensation or a right of return but that needs to emerge from a negotiated settlement to the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Michael Jansen also failed to mention the destabilising presence in Jordan of 1.8 million Syrian refugees from that dreadful conflict.

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There are many countries culpable for that disaster, including the US and the UK, but Israel is not one of them. – Yours, etc,

KENNETH HARPER,

Burtonport, Co Donegal.