Palestinian refugees have staged a vigil in Gustaf Adolfs torg, a town square located in central Gothenburg, Sweden, protesting the rejection of their applications for asylum by the Swedish migration authorities.

Members of the Asylum Seekers Association in Sweden said local authorities have been treating their demands on a political basis, rather than a humanitarian or legal basis. They added that most demands are rejected without taking into consideration the humanitarian conditions of the refugees.

Activist Kanaan Abu Amra told Alkompis news site that hundreds of families coming from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the diaspora have been threatened with deportation.

He said several refugees, including elderly refugees and persons with special needs, have been staying in the country for over 12 years. Dozens of children have also been born in the country.

The activist said though the Swedish authorities consider Palestine as an unsafe place, with poor education and health services, they have been denying Palestinian refugees humanitarian asylum.

He urged the Swedish government to protect the refugees and grant them asylum in line with human rights and refugee conventions.

Over recent years, thousands of Palestinian refugees have been denied asylum in several European countries and received immediate deportation orders.