Searching for Directions: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges in Researching Refugee Journeys

Abstract

The refugee journey is the defining feature of the exilic process: it is a profoundly formative and transformative experience and a ‘lens’ on the newcomers’ social condition. Yet it remains a significantly under-researched theme in refugee and forced migration studies. This exploratory article maps what exists, what is missing, and what might be researched regarding these journeys. Commencing with a review of the fragmented nature of the research and its limited analytical scope, the article then reviews BenEzer’s definitive work. The core of the article explores the potential value and contribution of the study of journeys in terms of: better understanding the profoundly formative experience of the journey; giving voice to the refugees’ unique experiences; and better informing policy from a fuller understanding of the journey experience. The article presents four conceptual challenges in studying the refugee journey and the final section proceeds to discuss some of the methodological questions related to research of journeys.