ABSTRACT
Bangkok and Hong Kong represent two major migrant and tourist destinations in Asia, with many people coming and going every day. “Constructing journeys”, the title of this chapter, refers to the cognitive sphere of refugees. Asylum-seeking journeys largely begin before people start moving abroad. People seeking refuge are fleeing danger. Generally, civilians may need to seek asylum overseas when their home society collapses into mass violence. In West African nations such as Guinea, Liberian, Sierra Leone, and Mali, conflicts have been a major driver of displacement. These conflicts are related to nation-state-building processes and struggles over control of power and resources, which often revolve around language, ethnicity, and religion. In the Middle East, the borders between countries have remained porous since establishment of nation-states in the region, which has facilitated refugee movements. In South Asia, conflict represents a major cause of displacement, which largely affects vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities, as well as oppressed castes and classes.
