A June 2010 Refugee Board decision concerned a Palestinian from Lebanon.552 The applicant claims that he was born and raised in Lebanon and that between 2002 and 2005 he was detained and tortured by Lebanese authorities. The Refugee Board found that since he had been released, the applicant’s “quarrel” with Lebanese authorities had ended. The Refugee Board found that the applicant was able to register with Lebanese authorities, and thus Lebanon was an appropriate first country of asylum under Aliens Act §7 (3). In another 2010 case, the Refugee Board denied asylum status to a Palestinian applicant from Lebanon.553 The applicant alleged that in 2008 a young man was killed in retaliation for the death of his cousin, and that as a result he was targeted as an act of revenge for his death. The applicant further alleged that he was afraid of Hezbollah given that the young man who was killed was associated with Hezbollah. Furthermore, the applicant claimed that he was involved with Hezbollah as a guard and as a participant at a training camp. The Board found that the applicant’s story was not credible, and that he would be able to get the necessary protection from Lebanese officials, and that Lebanon is a suitable first country of asylum under the Aliens Act §7 (3). In a case decided in October 2011, a Palestinian applicant who came to Denmark from Gaza was denied asylum by the Refugee Board.554 The applicant had alleged that he was sympathetic to Fatah, although he did not work for them directly. He claimed that he was afraid to return to Gaza because Hamas officials had threatened him in 2006 to disclose information about his neighbors, which he eventually did. After that, in 2007, the applicant claimed that he was twice visited by Hamas officials, and on one occasion was interrogated and beaten. The Refugee Board determined that the applicant was not credible, and pointed to “language tests” that indicated the applicant is from Tunisia or Libya, and that the applicant could also speak French. The Board determined the applicant could not prove that he was in fact from Gaza, and denied him asylum status under the Aliens Act §7. In a January 2012 decision, the Refugee Board granted asylum protection to a Palestinian from Lebanon who claimed to have been targeted by Hezbollah due to his work for Jordanian and U.S. intelligence.555 The applicant brought medical and psychiatric evidence of abuse and sexual assault. The Board found the applicant credible in light of the corroborating evidence and granted the applicant asylum status under §7(1) of the Alien Act. 5. Refugee Status Determination Process: Outcome If an asylum seeker is granted status as a refugee, a residence permit will be issued, and services and activities are recommended to help the individual integrate to life in 552 Stat.pal. /2010/7. Stat.pal. /2010/12. 554 Stat.pal. /2012/10. 555 Stat.pal. /2012/1. 553 116 Handbook on Protection of Palestinian Refugees