ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we delineate the characteristics of hope within the asylum context through firsthand accounts of individuals who initially sought refuge in Sweden. We argue that hope in the asylum landscape embodies complex and unique qualities that we try to capture with the concept of ‘asylum hope’. We assert that the structural conditions the participants encounter give rise to unique and complex conditions for hope, which we subsequently label ‘asylum hope’. The chapter explores the participants’ testimonies of fragility and vulnerability of hope within the asylum process, shaped by structural constraints, power imbalances, and oppressive conditions. Meaningful everyday rituals and social relationships emerge as crucial in buffering against hope erosion and fragilisation by loading people with enough emotional energy to go on. The narratives also illustrate how hope becomes fragile – as opposed to sustainable – by repeated rejections during prolonged waiting, sometimes leading individuals to redirect their aspirations towards alternative spaces and countries. The chapter provides a nuanced understanding of asylum hope, highlighting its dynamic nature and profound impact on individuals’ lives while acknowledging its particularly vulnerable position in the precariousness of the asylum context.
