Palestinian refugee calls for Koreans’ broader awareness
Palestinian refugee Saleh Elrantisi poses during an interview with The Korea Times at Hanokers headquarters in central Seoul, Sept. 10. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
By Bereket Alemayehu
Saleh Elrantisi, a 26-year-old Palestinian with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, moved to Korea in 2022 to escape war in his homeland. While suffering with memories of Palestine, he continues struggling with the refugee application process in Korea.
“So far, my experience in Korea has been very positive,” he told The Korea Times. “Korea made me feel like I am in a safe place, far from war and killing, and I therefore hope to live here until Palestine is liberated from occupation, and then I shall return to living in my country peacefully.”
But even though he was able to share paperwork from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) about his status, he has had to fight to stay in Korea.
“It was a shock to me when I understood that the Korean government didn’t recognize me as a refugee immediately, even though I submitted official documents from the UNRWA proving that I had an asylum number,” he said. "Unfortunately, I am not being dealt with as a refugee, but rather I have to apply as a new applicant for refugee status in Korea, and that was not a relief at all because the application process for refugee recognition takes a long time, and this makes me psychologically exhausted.”
Choi Ji-won, a Ph.D. student of sociology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, who has assisted Elrantisi with language translation, said the narrative illustrates the need fo Korea to reevaluate the refugee application process. “Even though he had submitted official documents from UNRWA confirming his status as a refugee in Gaza Strip, obstacles persist," said Choi.
“While assisting him as a translator, I could sense his deep desire to convey the perilous situation in Palestine to Koreans, despite the emotional toll it took to relive those memories repeatedly. Saleh's willingness to recount painful memories highlights his commitment to shedding light on the issues facing Palestine, with the hope that Koreans might comprehend the tragic reality. I hope this serves as a catalyst for greater international attention.”
Elrantisi says he was born a refugee, as his grandfather had been forced to leave his home in Yibna village near Tel Aviv in 1948, relocated to Gaza.
Elrantisi worked as a volunteer for three years for Initiative of Changes Palestine (IofC). In addition, he was an activist in the Great March of Return, in which thousands of Palestinians in Gaza protested at the eastern borders of the besieged enclave to demand their right of return as refugees to their original homelands, now in present-day Israel.
“The residents of the Gaza Strip suffer from a very stifling siege that affects all aspects of life,” he said. “Gaza is exposed to repeated wars in which thousands of civilians are killed and hundreds of homes are destroyed; the last one was in 2021, which prompted me to escape from hell and try to find a good place to continue my life.”
Coming to Korea
He spoke of the difficulties securing permission to leave Gaza for Korea. “Since Gaza is under siege, there is no direct mail from Korea to Palestine, which made obtaining some documents from Korea very complicated. In addition, there is no office for the Korean Embassy in Gaza. Therefore, I had to send the papers via mail to the representative office in Ramallah, which took a lot of time and effort, since I do not have the right to move within Palestine due to the siege,” he said.
After he obtained his visa, he still had difficulties leaving, as there were no airports or seaports accessible to him. He had to exit Gaza by crossing into Egypt at the border city of Rafah.
“My journey to come to Korea was like a miracle, as the obstacles were big and hard,” he said. “There is no doubt that coming to Korea was a dream and a hope for survival, but the dream was certainly not complete because I left my family there in Gaza suffering and exposed to the danger of war.”
Palestinian refugee Saleh Elrantisi poses during an interview with The Korea Times in central Seoul's Hyoja-dong, Sept. 10. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
War continues to be a fact of life in the Gaza Strip, and Elrantisi himself has lived through four periods of war, which he says has left him with trauma and psychological effects that are difficult to treat.
“I succeeded in escaping from the Gaza Strip, but I did not succeed in escaping my painful memories,” he said. “I remember how the 2008 war began while I was taking the English language test in primary school. I remember how terror spread in the faces of my fellow students and chaos reigned among us. How can I forget the child who was sniped by the Israeli soldier during the Great March of Return on the Gaza Strip border, and his foot was cut off? How can I forget my grandfather’s longing to return to his home from which he was forcibly abandoned? How can I forget the shaking of the houses while Israeli war planes dropped bombs on the areas adjacent to my house? How can I forget my younger sisters' fear of bombing?”
Spreading the word
Now that he is safely in Korea, he takes every opportunity to share information about his homeland, giving talks about Palestinian life and culture, presenting Palestinian food and performing Dabke dance.
“As it was in the past that the Korean people suffered from the Japanese occupation and their long-sought independence struggles, Palestinians are now suffering from the Israeli occupation. Therefore, I believe that we must fight injustice in all places and in all forms to stand in solidarity,” he said. “Although the Palestinian people suffer from major economic problems that affect all aspects of life, awareness of their rights and support in regaining their stolen land is what they need the most.”
He noted that most Koreans lack information about Palestinian issues, and urged more Korea-based organizations to get involved.
One such group he mentioned is Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Korea, formerly known as Palestine Peace and Solidarity in South Korea, a Palestinian-led movement based here.
“BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. It is making great efforts to advocate for the Palestinian cause, raising awareness of Palestinian rights and organizing various boycott campaigns against the Israeli occupation,” he said.
“These and other efforts are a ray of hope for us as Palestinians, that the language of freedom and humanity is a common language among all the peoples of the world, and we can feel what others feel despite the geographical and cultural distance.”
“We must remember that refugees yearn not only for economic stability but also for the freedom to live and speak without constraint,” Choi said. “It is easy to perceive refugees solely through an economic lens, but by delving into their genuine motivations for migration, we open avenues for discussions encompassing politics, gender, race and culture.”
Palestinian refugee Saleh Elrantisi, left, looks on as Choi Ji-won translates for him during a BDS Korea workshop in western Seoul, Aug. 20. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Elrantisi is grateful to be in Korea and hopes he can stay here as long as necessary, but he said said his yearning for his homeland to be liberated is greater.
“Although I am seeking asylum in South Korea,” he said, “my dream will not be complete unless I Palestine is liberated and I can live in safety and peace in my stolen homeland.”
Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative, and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency. Visit photopatternist.com for more information.