Abstract

This paper interprets migration as an interplay of external and internal movement, of physical locomotion and becoming. The first part calls for completing Migration Studies with an experience-centred philosophy of migration from the insider’s perspective. A critical examination of phenomenological contributions emphasises how phenomenology has usually prioritised dwelling, emplacement and alterity over moving, displacement and the migrant’s reactions to being considered the “other”. The second part examines migration along its several stages, from the detachment from the home country to “arrival” and integration, including the temporary or definitive return to the former “home”. Finally, the recent phenomenon of trans-migration nourishes the hope in the possibility of a non-traumatic dwelling in-between and on the move.