Moving Horizons: Hypermobile Somali Youth in Türkiye

Abstract

This article delves into the experiences of hypermobile Somali migrant youth, who have moved frequently with their families across multiple countries and continents. Born to refugee parents in Europe or North America, their lives are influenced by their parents’ pursuit of a better life, including security, education and cultural and religious values, thereby decentering narrow hierarchies of destination. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Türkiye, we examine three spatial biographies to analyse how migrant youth connect past experiences, present realities and imagined futures, suggesting the concept of moving horizons. We argue that storytelling plays a crucial role in making sense of hypermobile lives, showing how connections between the past and imagined futures reflect a sense of existential reciprocity or its absence. We conclude that even tumultuous experiences gain value through storytelling while cautioning against an overemphasis on fixed notions of place-belongingness and the dichotomy between forced and chosen mobilities.