Theorizing experiential time in refugee migration: speed and duration

Abstract This article theorizes the concept of experiential time in refugee migration. While recent migration studies have increasingly recognized the importance of immobility in understanding migration, research on refugee experiences remains predominantly focused on mobility from displacement through transit to settlement. This mobility-centric perspective overlooks the immobilities embedded within the broader mobility, which generate distinct temporalities that impact refugee experiences. To bridge this gap, we introduce experiential time as an analytical framework designed to capture the subjective, fluid, and multifaceted temporalities that refugees navigate. We view displacement as a dynamic process with distinct phases, emphasizing the interplay of two temporal properties: speed and duration. Through this lens, we identify four categories of experiential time: sluggish, stuck, racing, and shock each reflecting unique emotional and psychological responses to temporal experiences. This framework offers a fresh perspective on how refugees simultaneously experience and navigate the intersections of mobility and immobility, yet in distinctive ways.