Humanitarianism against hostility: Volunteer hospitality in Australia and Europe

The number of forcibly displaced people has reached an all-time global high, growing to 70.8 million (UNHCR 2019). Responses of citizens and governments of potential "host countries" have ranged from hospitality and welcome to hostility and fear. "Humanitarianism against hostility" is a timely, important project examining the rising global phenomenon of volunteer humanitarianism for migrants across two western contexts: Australia and Europe. Migrants seeking to reach these destinations increasingly meet governmental deterrence responses. Yet, in the face of such hostile policy environments, many citizens have volunteered to support migrants. Assistance has been extensive and varied, from search and rescue boat patrols to material and food aid to welcoming and hosting. Volunteering has also become a source of activism and solidarity, with volunteers advocating for migrant rights and assisting migrants across borders.

This research takes an ethnographic approach to exploring humanitarianism delivered "at home" in western nations. Ethnographic research is needed to inject evidence into public debates about forced migration that are frequently conducted at a polemic level. The findings shed light on the detrimental impact of punitive deterrence policies, uncover the opportunities and limitations volunteers face in everyday efforts to assist, and offer a nuanced account of the humanitarian encounter, providing insight into not only why but how people help.

"Humanitarianism against hostility" builds on my PhD research on volunteer humanitarianism in Australia, and extends the findings into the European context. My Australian research found that volunteer humanitarianism drew on discourses of fairness, neighbourliness and decolonisation to develop humanitarian strategies as palatable alternatives to deterrence. Strategies were designed to appeal to the wider public, the majority of whom voted for deterrence. By drawing on a sense of moral responsibility and duty to be fair and help one's neighbour, these strategies had potential to change the policy climate. However, there were also gendered, racialised and classed tensions within humanitarian environments, which presented obstacles to collective action.

This project aims to consolidate and publicise the PhD findings, and move into new related research on European humanitarianism. To do so, key outputs will include a monograph, a workshop on humanitarianism, and preliminary fieldwork. The monograph will engage with the critical anthropology of humanitarianism, outline the Australian political climate, and present humanitarian strategies, therefore appealing to both academics and practitioners. Drawing on my existing networks, the workshop will collaboratively engage academics and practitioners across a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds (NGOs, caseworkers, academics, artists and theatre practitioners) to share humanitarian strategies and tools. My new research will explore the experience of British volunteers participating in European humanitarian efforts for migrants, while anti-migrant national sentiment persists following the Brexit referendum. This will entail preliminary fieldwork in London with volunteers in NGOs such as Help Refugees, and the development of a funding proposal to further pursue this research.

Ultimately, this project will develop a robust theory of the political subjectivities of volunteer humanitarians in climates of hostility. This makes an important contribution to public debate and academic scholarship by illuminating the locus of belonging and responsibility for volunteers, providing insight into how citizens take political and moral action. In doing so, it contributes to a critical anthropology of humanitarianism, publicises the detrimental impacts of deterrence, and offers examples of humanitarian alternatives informed by engagement with practitioners and academics.