Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the individuals not previously involved in humanitarian work responding to the refugee situation in Finland 2015 – 2017 outside the state response mechanism.

Paper long abstract:

This paper will look into the emergence of new civil society actors in Finland within the context of the European refugee crisis 2015 – 2017 and examine the motivating factors for individuals not previously involved in humanitarian work to intervene. In this paper I map out the different groups which emerged during the crisis and look more closely to one of these groups, Startup Refugees.

More specifically, my interest lies on to what extent the actions of these new actors were driven by a reaction to a perceived crisis and assumed or actual inefficiencies in the existing, traditional response mechanisms and the agencies that deliver them, and how this attitude changed over time. This paper will not only concentrate on individual motivational factors but also takes into consideration other contributing factors for the individuals to intervene – be they social, political, lifestyle and livelihood factors, social networks, or cultural and institutional dispositions. Finally, this paper will discuss how these new actors can be seen as challenging the state’s role in responding to the situation and thus reconfiguring the state-civil society relationship.

It can be argued that the appearance of these new actors represents a redefining of civil society and its relationship with the state. As civil society will arguably have an increasingly important role in responding to future refugee situations, this subject should be further studied. By resourcing these actors sufficiently and integrating them to a broader response where possible the government as well as the NGO actors can ensure the response is inclusive and efficient and takes into account the voices of both refugees and the host community members. To support this process, it is important to understand the motivating factors and self-understandings of these individuals and groups assisting the refugees.