Irregular Migration: Mismatch between Conceptualizations and Lived Experiences

Abstract

This article focuses on researching differences in relation to irregular migration and various methodological challenges and ethical considerations that arise when working in this type of research field. Due to the precarious character of the migration and the vulnerability of the migrants, a large degree of responsibility is placed on the researcher in order to refrain from harming the researched group(s) further. Yet, the need to access information about their life situations are of great importance to shed light on matters that otherwise would remain hidden and undisclosed. How do researchers recognize the implications of the methods used in researching irregular migration and other vulnerable people and sensitive subjects? How do we carry out research in this field without causing further harm to the subjects researched? What kind of differentiating categorization of migrants do researchers construct, produce and reproduce during the research process? This article addresses the above questions by looking at the construction and categorization of irregular migrants in both the research process and as the products of research conducted, using the biographical narrative method in order to obtain a deeper and more complex understanding of the social dynamics involved in the field of irregular migration.