Migrant Organisations Under Pressure. Adaptation and Contestation in Democratic Backsliding Contexts

Abstract

This panel focuses on the evolving contributions of migrant and diaspora civil society organisations to migration and inclusion governance and policy-making in European countries, at a time marked by unprecedented political antagonism. Migrant-led and migrant-support organisations play a vital role in democratic societies—as key actors in social inclusion, minority politics, and transnational development cooperation. They do so through welfare provision and gap-filling, the mobilization of expertise, advocacy, civic education, policy influence and contentious action (Gunzel et al 2023, Halm et al 2013, Dijkzeul et al 2020, Morales et al 2011). Yet, these organizations operate today in increasingly hostile environments. Beyond welfare state retrenchment and declining funding to the voluntary sector, many Western countries face democratic backsliding and even authoritarianism. This combines with increasingly restrictive and selective migration and inclusion policies, and the criminalization of migrant categories (Stumpf 2006, Hollifield et al 2022). In such a context of shrinking civic and political space, where ethnic and migrant organizations face delegitimization and reduced opportunities, questions arise about their remaining room for manœuvre. How do they adapt their roles, strategies and repertoires? Do they adjust practices, narratives, beneficiaries selection, or do they ‘decouple’ (Meyer et al 1977)? To what extent do they resist and contest restrictive agendas, reframe goals, activate transnational networks? Crucially, what room remains to influence migration and inclusion governance, policy agendas, and public narratives? This panel features meso-level contributions addressing the limited attention to organisational dynamics in migration research (Lang et al 2021, Pries et al 2012). Based on strong empirical data across Europe and mixed methods, they explore the mechanisms, constraints, alliances and internal tensions to shed light on migrant and diaspora organisations changing democratic roles in Europe, i.e., how these actors operate and contribute to migration and inclusion governance, at local, national and regional levels. Dijkzeul, D., & Fauser, M. (Eds.). (2020). Diaspora organisations in international affairs. Routledge. Günzel, E., Kellmer, A., Klammer, U., & Schlee, T. (2023). Contested Welfare: Migrant Organizations in Search of Their Role in the German Welfare State. Social Sciences, 12(2), 90. Halm, D., & Sezgin, Z. (Eds.). (2013). Migration and organized civil society: Rethinking national policy (1st ed.). Routledge. Hollifield, J. F., Thiollet, H., & Wihtol de Wenden, C. (2022). La politique des migrations internationales : Un nouveau cadre d’analyse. Hommes & Migrations, (1338), 192–199. Lang, C., Pott, A., & Shinozaki, K. (2021). Organisations and the production of migration and in/exclusion. Comparative Migration Studies, 9, Article 60. Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363. Morales, L.& Giugni, M. (Eds). (2011). Social Capital, Political Participation and Migration in Europe. Making Multicultural Democracy Work?, Basingstoke, Palgrave. Pries, L. & Z. Sezgin, Z. (Eds.). (2012). Cross-border migrant organisations in comparative perspective. Palgrave Macmillan. Stumpf, J. P. (2006). The crimmigration crisis: Immigrants, crime, and sovereign power. American University Law Review, 56(2), 367–419.

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