Beziehungsweise Flüchtlingshilfe – Die (Re-)Produktion erfahrungsbasierter Beziehungen und situierter Transaktionsräume (der Teilhabe) durch Praktiken ehrenamtlicher Flüchtlingshilfe

Description

The immigration of refugees to EU member states reached a numerical peak in the summer and fall of 2015. At that time, two buzzwords dominated media headlines in Germany: "refugee crisis" (as a description of the current migration phenomena) and "welcome culture". The latter stood for the broad and multifaceted movement of voluntary refugee assistance, which noticeably relieved the organizationally overburdened asylum system in Germany in the reception and integration of refugees and thus made a significant contribution to maintaining social peace.

Thus, voluntary refugee relief is not only a meaningful leisure activity or a commendable contribution to society but is always integrated into the public and political debates about the consequences of migration events. Volunteers consequently operate in a highly politicized field, which is becoming increasingly conflictual as the debate about migration and integration intensifies.Thus, voluntary refugee relief is not only a meaningful leisure activity or a commendable contribution to society but is always integrated into the public and political debates about the consequences of migration events. Volunteers consequently operate in a highly politicized field, which is becoming increasingly conflictual as the debate about migration and integration intensifies.

The present book is dedicated to this dynamic field of civil engagement by presenting and reflecting on the modes of action and negotiation processes of voluntary refugee relief with help of a practice-theoretical perspective. It can be shown that voluntary engagement with refugees is shaped and legitimised in particular with regard to four core aspects: openness and non-commitment, to do moral good, the assumption of social responsibility, and the expectation of a noticeable cultural difference, which together establish practice-field-specific modes of relationship. Furthermore, it becomes clear that the personal relationships between volunteers and refugees in particular can help to counteract the aggravation of asylum law, open up new spaces for participation, and thus contribute to the stability of society as a whole.