Conformans novas selves: The significance of Balkan route migrants' possible and future narrative identities.

This study investigates the narrative identities of fifteen male migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Bangladesh who traveled the Balkan route to Trieste, Italy, focusing on the underexplored possible and future dimensions of identity construction. Through biographical and interactional approaches, the research identifies four key themes shaping migrants' narratives: temporal bridging (linking past experiences with future aspirations), narrative disruption (challenging stereotypes and reframing migrant identities), reverse cultural enrichment (contributing cultural heritage to host societies), and revenge (expressing desires for justice and retribution). These future-oriented narratives provide migrants with psychological resilience, agency, and meaning-making tools that help them navigate displacement and marginalization. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating migrants' envisioned futures into migration studies and policy, emphasizing their active role in shaping personal and social realities beyond immediate survival.