Which (Im-)Mobility, for Whom and When? Exploring Power Geometries in the Post-Migration Mobility Trajectories of Highly Skilled Turkish Nationals in the Nordics

Abstract

This article explores the complexities of (im-)mobility among highly skilled professionals from Turkey residing in the Nordic countries. Drawing on 71 in-depth interviews (2020–2023), it analyzes how power geometries – shaped by citizenship status, employment conditions, and immigration regimes – differentially structure access to mobility. The findings reveal a mobility paradox within this group: while their career advancement or temporary labor market positions require continued geographical mobility, they simultaneously pursue long-term settlement in the Nordics to obtain EU citizenship. These findings challenge dominant portrayals of skilled migrants as globally mobile elites and instead demonstrate forms of forced or strategic (temporary) immobility.