Revisiting the ‘dual imperative’ of forced-migration studies – commentary to Refstie

Abstract

From the perspective of forced-migration studies, the reflections article elaborates on the question Hilde Refstie posed in her keynote speech at Geography Days in 2021 – “what doing our part means in a progressive world of fast policymaking”. Discussing the nature of forced‑migration studies as a both policy-relevant and policy-critical field, then deliberating the issue of what ‘action’ may look like in action-oriented refugee research, this presentation of self-critical reflection on these issues is grounded in the Academy-of-Finland-funded research project Action-oriented Research on Asylum Seekers’ Deportability (ARADE, 2018–2022). The author concludes that, while research should be conducted in solidarity with refugees and those collaborating with them, such as activists, scholars must maintain reflexive criticism considering which actions and approaches are suitable and desired in particular contexts. There are no simple solutions for designing and implementing action‑oriented research for and with refugees.