Palestinian Refugees in Exile: A Case Study of Palestinian Refugees in Ein El Hilweh Camp, Lebanon

Abstract: The aim of the study is to examine the current Palestinian refugees’ situation in the biggest refugee camp in Lebanon. The research questions of this thesis are: How are Palestinians integrating into Lebanese society? What are the experiences of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon? How do Palestinian refugees identify themselves? Through the interviewees’ perceptions of their situations, this study provides their viewpoints regarding the position of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. This thesis utilises qualitative interviews to collect data and analyse the interviews of five participants who are third- and fourth-generation Palestinian refugees. The Palestinian refugees’ situation is studied by applying the theories of social integration, structural discrimination, and social identity. Through the analysis of the five interviews, it was revealed that three main factors dominate the Palestinian refugees’ situation in Lebanon: their integration and how difficult it might be to integrate, their experiences that are presented by the restrictions Palestinian refugees face, and their identity, how they identify themselves.