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NEGOTIATING THE TERMS OF THE MIGRATION TRAJECTORY UNDER MIGRANT ‘ILLEGALITY’ - A case study of three unaccompanied Afghan minors’ journey from Afghanistan to Sweden

Burman, Josefine LU (2015) MOSM03 20142
Centre for Middle Eastern Studies
Abstract
This study seeks to answer the question of how some young male Afghan refugees, in their own views, negotiated their migration trajectories on their way to the country of asylum, despite the constraints of migrant ”illegality”? To answer this question a qualitative mix-method approach was adopted, comprised of Participatory Action Research and Life History, collecting data through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were held with three young Afghan males, who at the time of their trajectories were unaccompanied minors. In light of the analytical framework of migrant ‘illegality’, the migration trajectory and the migration industry as conceptualized by Nicholas De Genova, Felicitas Hillmann and Rúben Hernéndez-León,... (More)
This study seeks to answer the question of how some young male Afghan refugees, in their own views, negotiated their migration trajectories on their way to the country of asylum, despite the constraints of migrant ”illegality”? To answer this question a qualitative mix-method approach was adopted, comprised of Participatory Action Research and Life History, collecting data through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were held with three young Afghan males, who at the time of their trajectories were unaccompanied minors. In light of the analytical framework of migrant ‘illegality’, the migration trajectory and the migration industry as conceptualized by Nicholas De Genova, Felicitas Hillmann and Rúben Hernéndez-León, respectively, the findings were assessed.

It was found that the terms of the migration trajectories were negotiated both by the individual migrant, the migrant group as well as by ‘official’ and ‘unofficial’ actors of the migration industry. Furthermore, the terms of the migration trajectory is largely affected by migrant ‘illegality’ as strategies need to be adopted to circumvent and transcend its restrictive nature. However, this does not mean that the production of migrant ‘illegality’ effectively curtailed their trajectories. Moreover the findings indicate that there seemingly is a connection between the situations of ‘home’ on the one hand and the route, length and conditions of the trajectory on the other. The research is subsequently concluded by pointing to deeply problematic embedded practices residing within the politico-legal system of contemporary Europe. (Less)
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author
Burman, Josefine LU
supervisor
organization
course
MOSM03 20142
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Migration Industry, Migrant Trajectories, Migrant 'Illegality', Unaccompanied Minors, Refugees
language
English
id
8146238
date added to LUP
2015-11-13 10:07:24
date last changed
2015-11-13 10:07:24
@misc{8146238,
  abstract     = {{This study seeks to answer the question of how some young male Afghan refugees, in their own views, negotiated their migration trajectories on their way to the country of asylum, despite the constraints of migrant ”illegality”? To answer this question a qualitative mix-method approach was adopted, comprised of Participatory Action Research and Life History, collecting data through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were held with three young Afghan males, who at the time of their trajectories were unaccompanied minors. In light of the analytical framework of migrant ‘illegality’, the migration trajectory and the migration industry as conceptualized by Nicholas De Genova, Felicitas Hillmann and Rúben Hernéndez-León, respectively, the findings were assessed.

It was found that the terms of the migration trajectories were negotiated both by the individual migrant, the migrant group as well as by ‘official’ and ‘unofficial’ actors of the migration industry. Furthermore, the terms of the migration trajectory is largely affected by migrant ‘illegality’ as strategies need to be adopted to circumvent and transcend its restrictive nature. However, this does not mean that the production of migrant ‘illegality’ effectively curtailed their trajectories. Moreover the findings indicate that there seemingly is a connection between the situations of ‘home’ on the one hand and the route, length and conditions of the trajectory on the other. The research is subsequently concluded by pointing to deeply problematic embedded practices residing within the politico-legal system of contemporary Europe.}},
  author       = {{Burman, Josefine}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{NEGOTIATING THE TERMS OF THE MIGRATION TRAJECTORY UNDER MIGRANT ‘ILLEGALITY’ - A case study of three unaccompanied Afghan minors’ journey from Afghanistan to Sweden}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}