The article presents interim results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Malta in 2015 and 2016. From a micro-analytical perspective, new parameters of refugee refusal, developing at the European Union's external borders, are shown and discussed. The majority of rejected asylum seekers in Malta are non-deportable due to a number of legal and practical factors. Non-deportable refugees are in legal limbo since they are neither considered as official members of the host country, nor are they deportable or able to leave the country independently. In Malta, non-deportable refugees have no formal legal status. This may lead to a permanent situation with limited access to the job market, basic services and health care. Dominant orders are suspended without prospect of inclusion. This results in a permanent state of emergency. Based on ethnographic research the article illuminates the agency and vulnerability of non-deportable rejected asylum seekers in Malta. The article argues that non-deportability and a 'rejected' status limit the possibilities in terms of enforceability of their rights. It further illustrates forms of solidarity and action that non-deportable refugees apply to handle constraints and enhance their well-being in the liminal space. To conclude, the article calls for an epistemological shift in the way the non-citizen within the nation state is theorised.

[No Keywords available]

[No Keywords available]