Refugees and forced migrants
Refugees and forced migrants
in the Western Balkans.
Civic response to the refugee
crisis in the Yugoslav successor
states
Chiara Milan
Scuola Normale Superiore
2
nd
Annual Conference of the Western Balkans Migration Network
“Migration in the Western Balkans: What do we know?”
Outline
the Western Balkans route: an
overview
Grassroots responses to the refugee
crisis: What kind of activism?
Which factors account for civic
response and cross-movement
coalitions?
Conclusions
Methodology
WB route: September 2015-March 2016
In-depth interviews with key informants (activists,
journalists, volunteers, refugees)
Participant observation in the parks of Belgrade
Under the umbrella of the ERC-funded project
“Collective action and the refugee crisis”
The Western
Balkans route
•
WB corridor (late
August 2015-March
2016)
•
Closure of the
Hungarian-Serbian and
Hungarian-Croatian
border (Sept. 2015)
•
760,000 migrants
(2015)
Pro-refugee activism during the long
summer of migration
New actors, and already existing ones
(human rights associations and groups;
left-libertarian parties; solidarity
movements; religious organizations)
Mobilization across gender, national
belonging and class
Macedonia, the entry point
NGO Legis, NGO MYLA
advocacy
SOLIDARNOST
left-wing organization
Help the refugees in Macedonia
FB page – virtual
platform
Serbia, the
bottleneck
Refugee Aid Miksali
šte:
first-aid, distribution
centre
Infopark:
first-aid, food
distribution, legal
information
•
No border Serbia
self-
organized initiatives,
contentious actions (No
border hostel)
•
Refugees’ protests and
the March of Hope
July
2016, October 2016
Croatia, a forced
transit country
•
Welcome! Initiative
advocacy platform, legal
support, policy proposals
•
Are you Syrious? group
first-aid, distribution group,
“informal and friend-based
network”, daily digests
Slovenia, the last transit hub
ROG Autonomous Social
Center –Anti-racist front
without borders
Central node for
migrant organizing
Second home:
self-
organized migrants
place
Which factors
account for the civic
response?
1.
Emotions
1.
Space
1.
Resources
1) Emotional component
Background as refugees or personal
experience of displacement
Identification with the migrants
collective memory of forced displacement
attribution of similarity that creates emotional
linkages
assignment of a common meaning
2) Space
WB as countries of transit rather than countries
of destination
Position along the
migrant route favoured the
perception of a temporary migration -> migrants
did not constitute a threat
Migration framed as humanitarian rather than
economic
3) Resources
Activating existing networks ->
r
e-
activating networks at the community level
Social media platforms -> facilitated the
creation of coalitions in absence of direct
relational ties
Conclusions
CS response vs.
state response
New subjects
Shifting focus of
the existing ones
Cross-national
coalitions
Online
networking
Temporary nature of
refugees’ presence (and
passage)
targeted actions
no long-term strategies
loose and ephemeral
networks
Thanks for your attention!
Chiara.Milan@sns.it
This study examines grassroots activism and civic responses to the refugee crisis in the Yugoslav successor states within the Western Balkans region. It delves into the factors influencing civic engagement and coalition-building, analyzing the pro-refugee activism and self-organized initiatives in countries along the Western Balkans route. The methodology includes in-depth interviews, participant observation, and a focus on collective action during the peak of the refugee crisis.
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Presentation Transcript
Refugees and forced migrants in the Western Balkans. Civic response to the refugee crisis in the Yugoslav successor states Chiara Milan Scuola Normale Superiore 2ndAnnual Conference of the Western Balkans Migration Network Migration in the Western Balkans: What do we know?
Outline the Western Balkans route: an overview Grassroots responses to the refugee crisis: What kind of activism? Which factors account for civic response and cross-movement coalitions? Conclusions
Methodology WB route: September 2015-March 2016 In-depth interviews with key informants (activists, journalists, volunteers, refugees) Participant observation in the parks of Belgrade Under the umbrella of the ERC-funded project Collective action and the refugee crisis
The Western Balkans route WB corridor (late August 2015-March 2016) Closure of the Hungarian-Serbian and Hungarian-Croatian border (Sept. 2015) 760,000 migrants (2015)
Pro-refugee activism during the long summer of migration New actors, and already existing ones (human rights associations and groups; left-libertarian parties; solidarity movements; religious organizations) Mobilization across gender, national belonging and class
Macedonia, the entry point NGO Legis, NGO MYLA advocacy SOLIDARNOST left-wing organization Help the refugees in Macedonia FB page virtual platform
Serbia, the bottleneck Refugee Aid Miksali te: first-aid, distribution centre Infopark: first-aid, food distribution, legal information
No border Serbia self- organized initiatives, contentious actions (No border hostel) Refugees protests and the March of Hope July 2016, October 2016
Croatia, a forced transit country Welcome! Initiative advocacy platform, legal support, policy proposals Are you Syrious? group first-aid, distribution group, informal and friend-based network , daily digests
Slovenia, the last transit hub ROG Autonomous Social Center Anti-racist front without borders Central node for migrant organizing Second home: self- organized migrants place
Which factors account for the civic response? 1. Emotions 1. Space 1. Resources
1) Emotional component Background as refugees or personal experience of displacement Identification with the migrants collective memory of forced displacement attribution of similarity that creates emotional linkages assignment of a common meaning
2) Space WB as countries of transit rather than countries of destination Position along the migrant route favoured the perception of a temporary migration -> migrants did not constitute a threat Migration framed as humanitarian rather than economic
3) Resources Activating existing networks -> re- activating networks at the community level Social media platforms -> facilitated the creation of coalitions in absence of direct relational ties
Conclusions CS response vs. state response New subjects Shifting focus of the existing ones Cross-national coalitions Online networking
Temporary nature of refugees presence (and passage) targeted actions no long-term strategies loose and ephemeral networks
Thanks for your attention! Chiara.Milan@sns.it
