Following Migrant Trajectories: The Im/Mobility of Sub-Saharan Africans en Route to the European Union

Abstract

We use two trajectory ethnographies that follow the migration processes of Sudanese and Nigerians heading for the European Union across space and time, to explore how the main theoretical principles of the mobilities debate add value to transnational migration research. We thereby particularly appreciate the relational ontology of the mobilities approach and its analytical focus on the differentiation of power and experiences in mobility processes. By providing in-depth insights into how migration trajectories evolve—that is, how they are produced, facilitated, slowed down, and blocked—we argue that a thorough analysis of migrants’ im/mobilities helps us to reveal the spatial frictions, embodied efforts, and emotions that are inherent aspects of transnational engagements.