Building a temporary alliance – methodological issues in interviews with unaccompa­ nied minorsMany people come to Europe in the hope of nding a safe haven. Global challenges are converted into local issues. e minority backgrounds of these people are often mentioned as an important component in the understanding of those coming to Sweden. e aim of this study is to discuss methodological challenges in research about vulnerable groups, with speci c focus on unaccom- panied children and adolescents. What challenges become visible in the research process when the researcher aims to focus on the unaccompanied minors’ perspective during their initial time in Sweden? What di erent positions and roles become evident in the encounter between unaccom- panied minors and the researcher during interviews? What di erent implications may that have in relation to the research process? In the discussion, we highlight the importance of constantly re ecting on the role of the researcher as a person and the in uence it may have on the relation to the respondent, as well as the opportunities and limitations of these di erent roles in the research process and for the results.