AMMAN — Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri on Monday announced that the government has established a "final” solution to the long-standing issue of privately-owned lands hosting refugee camps, ending a 78-year legal deadlock.

 

The Minister said the dispute, which has prevented landowners from using their properties for decades due to legal complexities and inheritance disputes, will be resolved through a “fair and consensual” compensation mechanism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

The plan involves exchanging private plots for Treasury-owned lands of equivalent value, settling judicial conflicts without further litigation. Under the Cabinet’s decision, landowners in Amman, Zarqa, and Madaba governorates will receive alternative Treasury lands within their respective regions. In Irbid, Balqa, and Jerash, where available Treasury land is limited, owners will be compensated with plots in other locations of equivalent value.

 

The decision also incorporates encroached Treasury lands outside the Hittin camp into its official boundaries, placing them under the jurisdiction of the Department of Palestinian Affairs.

 

The Cabinet approved the settlement on Sunday, following the model of previous successful resolutions, such as the Talbieh camp in Jiza District.

 

The move aims to ease the financial burden on the Treasury while maintaining the political and legal significance of the camps regarding the refugee cause.

 

To implement the resolution, the Department of Lands and Survey has been tasked with conducting detailed valuations of the proposed exchange plots. The Department of Palestinian Affairs will form a specialised committee to negotiate directly with landowners and secure temporary lease agreements until land transfers are finalised, Petra reported.

 

In November 2025, the prime minister established a specialised committee, headed by the Director General of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, to identify viable Treasury plots for the exchange and secure annual budget allocations for future housing developments. Once the swap process is complete, all lands currently hosting the refugee camps will officially revert to State ownership.