Agency and vulnerability in the field of immigration law: a linguistic‐ethnographic perspective on lawyer–client interaction

Migrants are often perceived as a group of vulnerable victims, especially within legal context such the one in this study: lawyer–client consultations field immigration law. The literature describes how institutional limitations translate into asymmetric dynamics. linguistic-ethnographic data gathered for study shows, however, that reality is more complex. In operationalizing concept agency, focuses on dynamic-relational nature power differences, which implies move away from binary conceptualization structure and agency. ethnographic lens helps to unpack agency reveals picture strategic behaviour contextually embedded multi-layered. light, performance vulnerability shown be (1) interactionally achieved, (2) indicative an awareness macro-level processes, (3) reflective philosophy behind authorities’ migration management.