Descent or ancestry?

[rmazzawi]

Hello,

Palestine was once colonized and mandated by Britain in 1920’s until 1946, and I recently discovered that my grandparents (from my father’s side) possessed British passports. My father unfortunately did not know whether he could apply for a British passport or not and nobody advised him. Therefore, I am contacting you hoping you could advise me whether my father can apply for a British passport and pass it to my mom and our family. We are all above 18.

Fact:
Grandparents (from father's side): British and Palestinians
Father: Born in Palestine, holds Jordanian Passport
Mother: Born in Jordan, holds Jordanian Passport
Parents were married at time of birth and still currently married
5 kids, all above 18 (4 born before 1983, and I was born in 1989)
I am currently in the UK.

I am finding many contradicting things on the internet and can't determine whether we can or not.
Can my dad apply for a British passport, pass it to my mother (through marriage) and to us? - if yes, which is the best route to take?

Thanks

[CR001]

Where were your grandparents born?

[rmazzawi]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

There were born in Palestine (grandfather) & Egypt (Grandmother). The had a British mandate Palestinian Passport because they were in Palestine during that time.
I think from what I read on the internet, such people are considered British Protected Person (BPP).

[secret.simon]

Neither descent nor ancestry is applicable to you. For either to apply, generally (there are a few exceptions), the parent/grandparent needs to have been born in the UK itself, not a colony.

Furthermore, Mandatory Palestine (1923-48) was not a British colony, but a mandated territory of the League of Nations administered by the UK and had its own separate citizenship, distinct from British citizenship. Holders of a Mandatory Palestine passport were generally not British subjects, with only the latter getting a British passport.

Also see this thread.