Family Transformations in Displacement: The Burden of Being the ‘Chosen One’ in Reshaping Refugees’ Translocal Bonds

Experiences of displacement due to conflict and persecution have profound impacts on family relationships, particularly for those individuals who are often referred to as the 'chosen ones' within their families. This paper explores the entangled dynamics of translocal ties among refugee families, focusing on the experiences of those who have been chosen to seek asylum or refuge in a new location while their families remain behind. Drawing on qualitative interviews and ethnographic research with Syrian refugees now living in Germany, it explores the emergence of new translocal family ties through displacement and examines the emotional burden, sense of responsibility, and guilt of the 'chosen ones', as well as their changing identities and capacities for integration. It also examines the social and cultural expectations placed on first fleeing individuals by their families and communities, and how these expectations to become 'family saviours' shape their attitudes towards their translocally dispersed families and their own experiences of displacement and integration. This paper contributes to the understanding of refugees' translocal ties, highlights the consequences of family separation in displacement, and underlines the importance of addressing the social and emotional consequences of being selected as the bearer of family hopes and aspirations.