Seyla Benhabib Wins 2025 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought
Seyla Benhabib, a senior research scholar at Columbia Law School, has been awarded the 2025 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought. She will soon take part in the Jewish Museum Berlin’s new Digital Lecture Series, focusing on the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention and its lasting impact on global migration. The Digital Lecture Series, supported by the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, examines human rights through the lens of Jewish migration history. Benhabib’s session will explore how the Convention excluded Global South nations while creating bureaucratic barriers for refugees seeking protection. She has criticised powerful signatories like the US and EU for enforcing entry bans and deportations, effectively producing 'rights-free zones and rightless subjects.'
The discussion will be moderated by Dinah Riese, who leads the domestic news desk at the publication. Riese previously worked as the migration and integration editor, bringing extensive experience to the conversation. Benhabib’s work challenges the Convention’s assumptions and highlights ongoing struggles in proving refugee status. Her lecture will trace how historical decisions continue to shape today’s migration policies and human rights debates.
The event forms part of a broader series analysing the past, present, and future of human rights. Benhabib’s insights will add to discussions on legal frameworks and their real-world consequences. Her recent recognition with the Hannah Arendt Prize underscores the relevance of her research in today’s political landscape.
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