After 1948, the Palestinian population, which had numbered 1.4 million under the British Mandate, was scattered throughout the region. Israel barred re-entry of refugees in August 1948. The largest Palestinian population now lived in Jordan. These refugees were given Jordanian citizenship, but no political power. About 200,000 Palestinians continued to live in Israel, where they were given citizenship. Most Palestinians in Israel were not permitted to return to their home villages. The Israeli government appropriated their land and they became "present absentees." Egypt (7,000-10,000 refugees), Syria (75,000-90,000 refugees), Iraq (4,000 refugees) and Lebanon (over 100,000 refugees) gave the Palestinians different categories of refugee status, each with its own set of political challenges. Palestinians lacked a united territory, but developed a new identity: exile.