Practical work
Online seminar for volunteering at Europe's (external) borders
5. How and where can I get engaged?
What should you pay attention to when you are looking to becoming active yourself? Without any contacts, projects, groups or organisations are sometimes hard to find. Here you can find references on where and how you can find possibilities to get involved.
Important for your support work
What should you consider when looking for a project?
There are numerous projects that, with their work, support people on the move at the (external) EU borders and for this rely on the commitment of volunteers. From our perspective, there are some points you should consider when choosing your project:
1. Support work should criticize inhuman borders policies
The support work with people on the move is embedded in a border system and in EU migration policies that lead to inhumane conditions in and around the EU border regions (see blog post). How can you recognise that a project deals with self-consciousness with this political context? Organisations that take on States’ tasks in camps, for example, should question how this work supports the lager-policy and how States can in this way avoid their responsibility. The starting point of projects should always be to point out these abuses and to criticise them. The resulting support cannot and should not remain apolitical, instead it should be complemented by actions (such as campaigns, informative events, monitoring), that aim at a fundamental political change.
2. Support work should not be an end in itself
Projects that do vital support work and that are financed by donations can not be a long-term solution. The work on the ground should aim at not having to exist long-term and for this should constantly address States’ responsibility. NGOs should not take over the role of the State, but rather encourage the State or supernational organisations, such as the EU, to do their job and live up to their responsibility. Volunteering work should be seen as a bridging measure. Be aware: the political situation at the EU (external) borders changes constantly, for this reason projects should regularly reflect on whether their work is still meaningful and necessary and hold others accountable.
3. Supporting instead of helping
Help always implies hierarchies. Instead of offering help, projects should focus on supporting people who are just as complex and capable as you, but who simply have less access to resources (money, contacts, bureaucratic and linguistic skills, etc.) in this situation. Be aware: Are people – in public or in the project work – reduced to the status of helpless and pitiful “refugees”, who need the help of white Europeans? How is it decided, what a meaningful project is and in what form support is needed? These decisions should be taken with the agreement of the people concerned, who know best their situation.
Texts for further reading:
- Brückenwind: "Why voluntary support work at the EU's external borders is necessary and compellingly political” (DE, EN)
- Shirin Tinnesand (2020): Wenn die Hilfe nicht mehr hilft. (DE)
- Maximilian Pichl (2021): Das Scheitern der Hilfe. Wie Hilfsorganisationen das Hotspot-System stabilisieren. In: Der “Moria-Komplex”. Verantwortungslosigkeit, Unzuständigkeit und Entrechtung fünf Jahre nach dem EU-Türkei-Abkommen und der Einführung des Hotspot-Systems. Seite 18-22. (DE)
- Phillip Lemmerich (2021): Hilfe für Millionen oder Millionen für Hilfe = NGOs in der Kritik. Deutschlandfunk Kultur (DE)
- Joris Fricker (2021): Der Fall Moria und die Frage nach der Hilfe. Report of the ‘Rekonstruktion der Welt’ conference, by medico international Deutschland. (DE)
Find your project at the EU (external) border
When looking for a project where you support migrant people at the European (external) borders, several information websites and recruitment portals will help you. Here for example you can find some information about projects:
- Volunteering 4 Refugees: A website supporting volunteers, which mainly informs about projects in Greece and specifically open spots for volunteers. The respective organisations write here their volunteer searches, there is a list of all active organisations, a “volunteer – starter – kit” and more.
Click here for the website (no longer used much) - Indigo Volunteers: A website designed to make it easier for volunteers to find the right project to support refugees and to network with the respective organisations. The website supports organizations in Greece, France, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Lebanon.
Click here for the website (The website is currently busy with fundraising itself and therefore does not directly connect volunteers with organisations. Nevertheless, you can find organisations to contact yourself on the site - as of November 2023) - Choose Love: Choose Love organises humanitarian aid for refugees worldwide, including voluntary work, which it coordinates via Indigo. But you can also find a list of organisations here.
Click here for the website (scroll down for the list of (European) partner organisations)
Furthermore, there are many websites where you can find important documents if you are interested in becoming a volunteer:
- How to Volunteer in Greece (information for volunteers in Greece)
Click here for the document
- Refugee Crisis Reality Check: Good overview of what is expected of volunteers, with a focus on mental preparation. Compiled by Campfire Innovation (Status: summer 2017).
Click here for the document
You can also join Facebook groups. These groups answer general questions, share information, and alert volunteers to projects that need support. There are several regional Facebook groups, here are some examples:
- Information Point for Greece Volunteers:
Hier geht's zur Gruppe - Information Point for Lesvos Volunteers:
Click here to join the group! - Information Point for Turkey Volunteers:
Hier geht's zur Gruppe
We intentionally do not give references to specific organizations and projects because we do not have the possibility to follow the work of many actors and do not want to give recommendations that we cannot stand behind.
Get involved in your environment
How can I be active at home too?
You can advocate for the needs of refugees not only directly at the (external) borders, but also in your environment. Structural racism and the structures of oppression do not stop at the border and can be fought against sustainably in your environment.
- Local groups regularly organize protests, rallies or other creative actions to draw attention on the situation of people seeking protection both at the (external) border and in Germany. Join and bring your friends! If there are no such groups in your area, contact existing campaigns and organisations in other cities and ask them for support or ideas to build new structures where you live. There are a lot of resources that you can use.
- Stay informed about the local political situation and decisions regarding the conditions of refugees! Where does it make sense to take action? Where do you see a need for information or engagement? Are there people and politicians who support the reception of refugees? Write letters and emails to your local politicians and representatives!
- In Germany, too, people seeking protection face massive legal and social restrictions. Many among them have to live for a long time isolated in camps, have only very limited access to a social life and have to fight against authorities’ arbitrariness.
- In almost every town there are organizations that support refugees in different ways and do valuable work. Such work ranges from helping out at encounter cafés, accompanying people on visits to the authorities, providing legal support to refugees, to organizing and/or participating in public campaigns and demonstrations.
- Starting points for finding a project can be local refugee support organizations, support structures directly in collective accommodation or the local Seebrücken-Group.
Stay informed!
How can I stay informed?
Here you can find a couple of links, campaigns and initiatives, that might help you in your search and most of all help you stay informed!
- On the support of criminalized people in Germany: Solidarität muss praktisch werden (DE)
- Civil resistance against the EU migration and border policy: Europe Must Act and borderline-europe (DE, EN)
- The Seebrücken-Movement: Seebrücke (DE, EN)
- Initiative, that would like to rethink together the European stand on migration, so that cities and human rights are the focus: From the Sea to the City (EN)
Share experiences
Why is it important to share your experience?
Use your experiences and impressions to inform your fellow humans on the situation at the (external) border and where you live.
- As a returning volunteer and/or activist you have the chance to tell other people about the actual situation at the borders of Europe, to report first hand on-site, and so build a personal connection that can enable to deal more consciously with the situation on the ground and the prevailing problems there.
- After all, there is a big difference between finding out about the situation at the (external) borders or in German camps from the news and a person telling you their experience!
- You are basically sitting at the source of information and personal impressions that can motivate your fellow humans to become active – be it through a decision at the next elections, during conversations at the workplace or through donations.
- You can talk about your experiences in personal conversations.
- You can organize an information event.
- You can write a report and share it (publicly).
- You can contact the local press and offer a report and/or an interview.
- At Brückenwind, we are happy to give you a platform to share your experiences and publish them on our website and social media channels. We are also happy to assist you in the writing process! If you are interested just ask us at “kontakt@brueckenwind.org"!
- You were at the (external) border and you would like to organize an event, but you don’t know how you can do this alone, or you would like to write a report with other volunteers? Then try to network with other volunteers that you met on-site and who are also back home. You can also ask your project for assistance in organizing an information event, for example requesting official information or presentations.
Keep supporting your project from home
How can you continue to support your project or other projects at the (external) border from home?
- Stay in touch with people on the ground, the coordinators and other volunteers and activists you have worked with!
If something like this does not exist yet, suggest a shared mailing list or a Messenger group. In this way, people “on the ground” can keep the former volunteers in the loop and inform everyone about specific fundraisers, petitions, volunteers need etc., so that you can continue supporting the project in a relatively easy and targeted way. - Above all, strategies of public outreach and fundraising are fundamental for a sustainable support!
By reporting publicly about your project or organising fundraisers, you can create further awareness for the topic and you can support your project and the cause itself probably in the best way! There can never be enough media coverage – as long as it is the right one – that increases political pressure. Check out again the respective units on our website, both are good ways to further support your project in the long term, even after your stay. - If you had a good experience, try to win over other volunteers for your project.
For example, tell people in your club, at your workplace, in your university, about the experience that you had and/or approach specific people. Through your direct experience you can answer important questions that communicate the necessity of this work and also convey the important criteria and requirements of your project to potential volunteers.
This page was translated from German into English by Rossella Ferrara.
Questions? Critical feedback? Ideas? Additions?
We are very happy to receive feedback and helpful hints from you! Just email us: kontakt@brueckenwind.orgYou want to share our contents?
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