Afghan Journeys to Turkey: Narratives of Immobility, Travel and Transformation
Abstract
This article is an analysis of Afghan migrants’ journeys to Turkey. The journey is defined as a form of narrative constructed by migrants encompassing long periods of immobility punctuated by shorter instances of travel. This conceptualisation of journey helps transcend the dichotomies associated with the journey such as origin and destination. The article first documents the conditions and nature of irregular travel of Afghan migrants to Turkey focusing particularly on the section of travel between Iran and Turkey. It demonstrates that the arrival of most participants to Turkey had been preceded by non-linear travel that involves uncertainty and long periods of immobility. The article then focuses on the role of journeys in the migration process, specifically as a form of narrative and a space for transformation. The construction of narratives on the journey is also important both as a skill and an agentic action that gives meaning to the migration process as a whole. Finally, the transformative potential of the journeys for participants is illustrated both in terms of the impact of the journey on migration decisions in Turkey and the ability to acquire and demonstrate different skills and autonomy.
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A distinction can be made between mobility as inherently disruptive, or mobility as instrumental to transformations or ruptures on other transformative elements of life, such as family life or career.
“Second, a distinction can be made between mobility as inherently disruptive, or mobility as instrumental to transformations or ruptures on other transformative elements of life, such as a family life or career (see also Kaytaz, 2016).”
From Back in Time? A Temporal Autobiographical Approach to Afghan Return Migration (2025) · cites this paper as Kaytaz, 2016
Cites
Deportation Stigma and Re-migration
Schuster, L., & Majidi, N. (2015) · Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies · doi:10.1080/1369183x.2014.957174 · Cited by 150 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Deportation forced much of the circulatory nature of Ali’s journey, as well as the journeys of other participants.(20) Furthermore, the recent deterioration in the situation of Afghans in Iran and Pakistan appears to have also triggered a particular kind of circularity migration pattern.”
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Back in Time? A Temporal Autobiographical Approach to Afghan Return Migration
van Houte, M. (2025) · International Migration · doi:10.1111/imig.12610 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Second, a distinction can be made between mobility as inherently disruptive, or mobility as instrumental to transformations or ruptures on other transformative elements of life, such as a family life or career (see also Kaytaz, 2016).”
Background
- Authors
- Kaytaz, E. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Kaytaz, Esra Stephanie
- Venue
- Geopolitics
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-03-21
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 284-302
- ISSN
- 1465-0045 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-3028
- OpenAlex
- W2335106034
- Cited by
- 93
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 14.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Geopolitics (publishedVersion)
- Pure (Coventry University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Exile Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration, Refugees, and Integration
- Social Sciences › Demography › Diaspora, migration, transnational identity
- Keywords
- Afghan migrants, migration to Turkey, irregular migration, travel writing, immobility, migration decisions, migrant agency
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