al majdalIssue No.59 (March 2017) This issue of al-Majdal is looking specifically at the multiple displacements of Palestinian refugees from the perspective biannual magazine of BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights of the international response or lack thereof to this situation. The articles examine the asylum procedures of a number of countries, spanning Europe and the Americas. Specifically, this issue contains articles highlighting the situation of Palestinian refugees from Syria seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Greece, and in Europe more generally. Looking at the Americas, the articles provide an overview of Palestinian communities there, especially Brazil and Cuba, as well as the situation of more recent Palestinian refugees arriving to the Americas in the last two decades. PALESTINIAN REFUGEES: MULTIPLE DISPLACEMENTS AND THE ISSUE OF PROTECTIONMarch 2017 1 BADIL is a Palestinian human rights organization established al-Majdal is BADIL’s biannual ABOUT THE MEANING OF AL-MAJDAL in 1998, dedicated to defending and promoting the rights al-Majdal is BADIL’s biannual English English magazine produced of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons al-Majdal is an Aramaic word meaning (IDPs), regardless of their geographic location, according to magazine produced with inputs from with inputs from Palestinian and the frameworks of international humanitarian, human rights Palestinian and international civil society on international civil society on fortress. The town was known as and refugee law. BADIL is one of the leading and respected issues concerning Palestine with a focus on the issues concerning Palestine with a Majdal Jad during the Canaanite resources on historic and contemporary forcible transfer concerns, rights and situation of Palestinian focus on the concerns, rights and period for the god of luck. Located in and the Palestinian refugee and IDP issue. refugees and IDPs. The magazine aims to situation of Palestinian refugees the south of Palestine, al-Majdal was a thriving Palestinian city with some BADIL has special consultative status though a partnership increase public awareness and provide a venue and IDPs. The magazine aims to 11,496 residents on the eve of the framework with UN ECOSOC, allowing it and its partners to for discussion and debate on these issues. increase public awareness and engage regularly and assertively with all UN mechanisms. provide a venue for discussion 1948 Nakba. Majdalawis produced BADIL works to engage and empower Palestinian and Subscribe to our email list to receive and debate on these issues. a wide variety of crops including international civil society to advance a rights-based solution BADIL’s publications and updates on our oranges, grapes, olives and vegetables. according to international law. Palestinian residents of the town work. al-Majdal, and all other BADIL owned 43,680 dunums of land. The Learn more about BADIL at www.badil.org publications can be found here: town itself was built on 1,346 dunums. http://www.badil.org/ ISSN 1726-7277 The town of al-Majdal suffered heavy air and sea attacks during the latter half of the 1948 war in Palestine. Israeli military operations (Operation EDITORIAL TEAM Yoav, also known as “10 Plagues”) Lubnah Shomali, Maya Al-Orzza aimed to secure control over the and Rachel Hallowell south of Palestine and force out the predominant Palestinian population. By November 1948, more than three- quarters of the city’s residents had fled to the Gaza Strip. Israel subsequently PUBLISHED BY approved the resettlement of 3,000 BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Jews in Palestinian refugee homes in Residency & Refugee Rights the town. In late 1949 Israel began to PO Box 728, Bethlehem, Palestine drive out the remaining Palestinian Tel/Fax: 972-2-274-7346 population using a combination of military force and administrative measures. The process was completed BADIL’s Geneva Office: by 1951. Israel continues to employ North- South 1207, 17 Rue Ferdinand Hodler similar measures in the 1967 occupied Swiss, Geneva, Switzerland West Bank, including eastern Tel: 0041796053905 Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian refugees from al-Majdal Atallah Salem Atallah : now number over 71,000 persons, [email protected] and Israel has Hebraized the name ESIGN of their town as “Ashkelon.” Like D www.badil.org millions of other Palestinian refugees, & Majdalawis are not allowed to return to their homes of origin. Israel YOUT A L opposes the return of the refugees due to their ethnic, national and religious ADVISORY BOARD Cover photo: Nadera Aboud and her family were Palestinian Diana Buttu (Palestine) origins. al-Majdal, BADIL’s quarterly refugees in Syria. Now they are refugees once more in magazine, reports about and promotes Europe. September 2016 (© Rebecca Collard/PRI.ORG) Joseph Schechla (Egypt) initiatives aimed at achieving durable BADIL welcomes comments, criticisms and suggestions for al- Jeff Handmaker (Netherlands) Majdal. Please send all correspondence to the editorial team at solutions for Palestinian refugees Nidal al-Azza (Palestine) [email protected] and displaced persons based on Susan Akram (USA) international law and relevant The views2 expressedal-Majdal by (Issue independent No. 59) writers in this publication do Terry Rempel (Canada) not necessarily reflect the views of BADIL Resource Center. resolutions of the United Nations. http://www.badil.org/en/publication/periodicals/ al-majdal.html Contents Editorial Palestinian Refugees: Multiple Displacements and the Issue of Protection by BADIL Editors ...........................................................................................................2 The Situation of Palestinian Refugees from Syria in Europe Overview by Naomi M. R. Graham ...................................................................................................6 Palestinian Refugees in Greece by Karima Abdel Aziz and Maya al-Orzza .......................................................................10 Palestinian Refugees in the UK by Lana Ramadan ..........................................................................................................17 Palestinian Refugees in Germany by Karima Abdel Aziz ....................................................................................................22 Palestinian Refugees in France by Lisa Auer ................................................................................................................27 Palestinian communities and refugees in the Americas In Focus: Palestinians in the Americas-Lands of Opportunities Untapped? by Francesca Albanese and Elisa Mosler Vidal ...................................................................31 “Sanaúd! Voltaremos! and We Will Return!” The Story of the Palestinian Diaspora and their Alliance with Social Movements in Sao Paulo by Luciana Garcia de Oliveira .......................................................................................43 Palestinians in Cuba by Mohammad Abu Srour .............................................................................................49 March 2017 1 Editorial Palestinian Refugees: Multiple Displacements and the Issue of Protection by BADIL Staff his issue of al-Majdal is looking specifically at the multiple displacements of Palestinian refugees from the perspective of the international response or lack thereof to this situation. The articles examine the asylum procedures of a number of countries, spanning EuropeT and the Americas. Specifically, this issue contains articles highlighting the situation of Palestinian refugees from Syria seeking asylum in the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany and Greece, and in Europe more generally. Looking at the Americas, the articles provide an overview of Palestinian communities there, especially Brazil and Cuba, as well as the situation of more recent Palestinian refugees arriving to the Americas in the last two decades. In terms of Palestinians in the Americas, they are the largest group of Palestinians outside the Arab world. While the majority of them were not forcibly displaced from their homes, especially in the case of Palestinians in Latin American countries, many became refugees sur place as they were unable to return to their homes of origin and their citizenship was revoked. After the establishment of the British Mandate of Palestine, returning home became difficult for Palestinians in the Americas. They had the right to opt for Palestinian citizenship only if they had left Palestine after 1924 and fulfilled certain legal conditions, but 90 percent had left Palestine before 1924, making them ineligible for the Palestinian citizenship option.1 Return to Palestine remained out of reach for Palestinian emigrants after the 1948 war. Jordan also deprived those 2 al-Majdal (Issue No. 59) Editorial originating from the West Bank of Jordanian citizenship in 1950, on the basis that they were not in Jordan when the West and East Banks of the River Jordan were united.2 Since 1967, return to the Israel-occupied West Bank has been obstructed by Israeli restrictions of movement of Palestinians in the 1967 occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).3 The articles in this issue provide an overview of these communities as well as the situation of more recent Palestinian refugees arriving to the Americas in the last two decades. The regional and national instruments and policies show gaps in the protection Palestinian refugees are entitled to. Although there have