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Exile is an ancient concept of political displacement expressing the enduring consequences for those affected by it. At least since antiquity exile has been a particular existence but also a form of figuration for those writing about it. This slippage contributed to a widening gap between experiences of exile as a condition of displacement and the qualities the figure symbolises, thus complicating the question of who may be considered exiled under what circumstances. Using this slippage between condition and figure productively, this article first traces the figure through Edward Said and outlines the exile's relation to other key figures of mobility and diaspora. A second analytical move compares this figure to anthropological research and to the particular case of Palestinians living in exile ‘at home’. Once reinstated as a condition of displacement for the anthropology of mobility, exile illuminates the subjective and temporal dimensions of political displacement and its enduring aftermath. It helps us to grasp the myriad processes by which people are excluded, allowed and forced to move, while also illustrating the forced movement of boundaries and political projects across and around people.