Abstract: The so-called “refugee crisis” of 2015-2016 has been framed as a threatening invasion, prompting swift reactions from European member states. This discourse, depicting migration as a “problem” to be solved, reflects a (post)colonial legacy with profound impacts on individuals labeled as migrants. Alongside the externalization of borders, which has made migratory journeys longer and more perilous, European member states have erected internalized borders, translating into restricted access to formal labour and housing markets, as well as mobility within Europe. However, despite intensified border controls and the constant threat of deportation, people on the move are creative and find means to endure, escape, and navigate hostile environments, ultimately crafting viable alternatives, albeit fragile ones. This dissertation explores forms of ambivalent agency honed by migrants deemed illegal.

Drawing from border studies, ethnographic criminology, political anthropology, and resistance studies, this thesis offers a nuanced conceptual framework for exploring the daily experiences of individuals characterized by a low level of agency. Combining a site strategy and a trajectory ethnography within Europe, biographical interviews and informal conversations, I delve into the journeys of destitute, marooned, and fugitive male migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The core of the dissertation comprises three articles, each illuminating specific dynamics and articulations between mobility and precarity, hope and frustration. The first article examines the temporal dimension of European migration policies, emphasizing the imbrication of spatial immobilization and temporal deceleration. Through a biographical perspective, I illustrate how these temporal ruptures disrupt individuals’ trajectories and hinder their hopes and aspirations, a process called temporal dispossession. The second article documents the everyday strategies employed by illegalized migrants during police contact, focusing on their expertise in the fine art of camouflage. By exploring face-to-face performances, I scrutinize how destitute individuals negotiate daily interactions with police and attempt to guide police discretionary power to turn a blind eye. Lastly, the third article delves into housing precarity, exploring how individuals with unstable incomes and restricted access to formal housing markets are able to endure such post-camp conditions by creating and maintaining refuge-zones. These spaces of autonomy serve as crucial nodal points, fostering onward mobility and providing decent immobility. This dissertation shines a light on an elusive population, taking seriously discreet forms of resistance and demonstrating individuals’ capacity to challenge the rules that are supposed to govern them.