Drawing the Line. An Inquiry over the Political Role of Volunteers at Border Crossings

Despite the impact that volunteering can have, the role of the volunteer at border crossings has received little academic attention, with most of the focus being placed on the spotlight from right-wing, populist parties. For instance, cases of attacks and smear campaigns against civil organizations providing aid to migrants have been reported in Spain and Italy. The charges range from trafficking to white-collar crimes and aiding illegal immigration, leading to what has been labeled as the criminalization of solidarity. However, the impact of this criminalization on the volunteer, as well as the political meaning of the volunteer’s role, has been understudied. With this in mind, this paper draws from feminist theory, which recognizes the personal as a critical and under-explored site of inquiry for the political. Our research seeks to understand the political meaning of volunteering at border crossings by exploring the emotions of the volunteers themselves. This study will focus on volunteers from the European Union who have had experiences at EU borders, and through their narratives, the paper aims to uncover the meanings constructed during the process of helping others. The paper will examine the experiences of being at the border and returning from, and it will ask which meanings people attach to these experiences and whether they can have political power in a feminist sense.