Between Asylum and Liberation: The New Palestinian Refugees.

This article examines the complex relationship between the institution of asylum and the Palestinian struggle for national liberation, focusing on the evolving interpretation of Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which historically excluded Palestinian refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from individual refugee protection. It outlines four key dilemmas arising from expanding recognition of Palestinian asylum claims in Europe: whether current protections are sufficient; whether such recognition inadvertently supports Israeli policies of displacement; how asylum recognition interacts with Palestinian statehood and sovereignty claims; and the potential impact on the UNRWA’s role and funding. The article argues for an ethics of hospitality that integrates individual protection with collective self-determination, emphasizing the importance of supporting transnational Palestinian liberation networks alongside asylum policies. It proposes a framework for policymakers and legal interpreters to balance individual refugee rights with broader political and moral considerations inherent in protracted refugee situations like that of the Palestinians.