Particularities of migrant-run organisations activities (case of Ukrainian forced migrants in Estonia)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32752/2786-5185-2025-5-4-5-45Keywords:
Ukrainian forced migrants, Estonia, Typology of migrant organizations, Migrant-led civil society organizations, MigrationAbstract
This article analyses the specific features of civil society organisations established and led by Ukrainian forced migrants in Estonia after the outbreak of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The analysis is conducted through two dimensions – structural-organisational and functional-activity. The first demonstrates that generalised characteristics are not universal for all migrant organisations, as hybridisation of models often occurs, combining innovative approaches with traditional diasporas structures. Moreover, the newly founded organisations reflected more contemporary, flexible and adaptive forms of civic self-organisation, emphasising network governance, digital communication, and pragmatic functionalism. The second reveals a multi-vector spectrum of activities that laid the groundwork for building a comprehensive support system for newcomers. Such multifunctionality generated an integrative effect and enhanced the capacity of these associations to act as mediators between the migrant community and host-state institutions. The concept of a «migrant civil society organisation» is defined as an institutionalised form of association of individuals who were forced to leave their country and resettle elsewhere, with the aim of collectively overcoming challenges related to adaptation and integration into new sociocultural environments, while also preserving national identity, language, cultural practices, and community traditions. Ukrainian migrant organisations in Estonia predominantly represent the volunteer type, characterised by flexibility, adaptability and rapid responsiveness to crisis conditions. At the same time, they display a tendency towards gradual institutionalisation, as ad hoc initiatives have evolved into more stable and functionally differentiated organisational forms. Drawing on a body of scholarly literature, the article develops markers for characterising migrant organisations as a shared foundation for their typologisation. A typology is proposed that incorporates a spectrum of organisational forms – ranging from volunteer-based, professional, and ethnic to networked, hybrid, and political organisations. It is argued that Ukrainian migrant organisations in Estonia not only met the urgent needs of displaced persons but also contributed to the formation of broader social practices that strengthened civil society and facilitated integration processes in the host country.
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