Special issue on the spatialities of migration

In the introduction to the issue, the guest editors argue for more than purely relational perspectives within geographical migration studies. They highlight that migration is often studied with a strong focus on relations, flows, and mobility—an emphasis that sometimes obscures other central spatial dimensions. They propose a broader understanding of space and place that also encompasses:

• The inertia, materiality, and historical layers of places – how past events, structures, and physical environments shape the forms that migration takes.
• The role of time – temporality, seasonal rhythms, repeated practices, and migration's connections to both history and the present.
• Local contexts – how specific places such as Rostock, Åsele, Toronto, and Muscat are shaped by unique social, political, and material conditions that influence migratory processes.

The special issue, comprising six articles on the theme, illustrates how migration not only builds relations between places but is also shaped by the characteristics of places themselves. It offers a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how migration intertwines with spatiality.

Beyond Relational Space: The Production of Space and Place in Geographical Migration Studies is published as Open Access.

About the editors:

Linn Axelsson is a Senior Lecturer, docent in Human Geography at Stockholm University.
Charlotta Hedberg is a Professor in Human Geography at Umeå University.