ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with revealing the situation about population displacement in Ukraine before and after 2022 and argues that it is critical to provide visibility and understanding of the experiences of people who stayed in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts and those who fled since 2014. It introduces the conceptual lenses of ‘inconvenient people’ that help to recognise and give voice to those people who stayed in the occupied territories and fled or lived in-between and so contribute towards better epistemic justice. This includes individuals who are excluded from political decisions made regarding their neighbourhood or communities or who voluntarily choose to be invisible whether because of perceived prejudices and stigma, the willingness not to stress others or exhaustion. Inconvenient is not a strict definition, but more a lens which helps us to focus our thoughts. The chapter then critically engages with literature on migration, bordering studies, intersectionality, feminist geographies, and everyday life. Then, it turns to the methodology underpinning the studies in this book, also offering personal reflections on the authors’ positionality and explaining the terminology used in naming the territories. Finally, it guides the reader through the overall structure of the book.
