Persecuted by Structural Violence: Problematizing the Field of Forced Migration

Abstract: This thesis challenges the conventional theory of forced migration by expanding the narrow definition of violence that prevails, not only within international refugee legislation, but also within the academic field of migration. As such, this thesis argues that by limiting the scope of forced migration only to include victims of direct personal violence, manifested in physical harm, we are neglecting the victims of indirect structural violence, that is, the violence of oppression and inequality, where insights and resources are monopolized by a certain group within society, making access unattainable for others. By analyzing personal narratives of six economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa that has fled their countries to escape structural violence, this thesis aims to shed light on the limitation within the conventional theory of forced migration.