ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the ethical dilemmas that arose when conducting qualitative research with vulnerable participants in particular refugees and asylum seekers in Belarus and Ukraine. Research on migrants' vulnerability is valuable, as it makes the challenging living conditions of refugees and asylum seekers explicit. The chapter focuses on research about the integration of refugees and asylum seekers conducted in Belarus and Ukraine over a total of seven months in 2012 and 2014. The vulnerability of refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine and Belarus is of unique and multi-layered character. In addition to the vulnerability that refugees and asylum seekers experience in general, most migrants understand both countries as transit locations rather than as destination countries. Finally, integrating refugees and asylum seekers actively into the research process may also reduce the risk that the research reproduces a presentation of the respondents as passive victims and as a solely vulnerable group but instead contributes to enhancing their agency.
