The experiences of palestinian migrant workers in the context of political conflict

This study examines how Palestinian migrant workers understand the meaning of global citizenship within two distinct political contexts: Israel and Germany. Based on in-depth interviews with 40 workers, 30 employed in Israel under an occupation-based permit regime and 10 residing in Germany within a formal international migration system, the findings reveal that global citizenship is understood less as a legal status and more as a relational and ethical construct shaped by lived experiences of inequality, dignity, and human connection. Workers in Germany described global citizenship as an aspirational, rights-oriented ideal, linked to recognition and future mobility opportunities. In contrast, those employed in Israel articulated it primarily through daily survival, loyalty, and interpersonal respect within a securitized labor system marked by restricted movement and structural discrimination. The study identifies significant psychological, social, and structural burdens faced by workers in both contexts, including different manifestations of racism, bureaucratic exclusion, and precarity. Importantly, the findings highlight clear policy implications: the need for labor protections, simplified permit procedures, stronger oversight of employers, and rights-based reforms that reduce vulnerability and promote equality. By foregrounding the voices of a marginalized population often rendered invisible, the study contributes evidence to support policy change aimed at enhancing justice, dignity, and well-being for Palestinian workers navigating conditions of conflict and displacement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).