The Criminalisation of Humanitarianism: From Volunteers to Human Smugglers in Italy
The aim of this project - The Criminalisation of Humanitarianism: From Volunteers to Human Smugglers in Italy - is to explore the criminalisation of humanitarianism, that is the effects of the recent criminalization of women and men who volunteer to conduct rescue operations at the Italian borders to save the lives of migrants trying to enter Europe.
THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED
The project was carried out by following everyday practices of volunteers from NGOs and civil society organisations active in Search and Rescue operations in Sicily, Italy and their interactions with each other, local Italians, migrants and Italian state representatives. These data were analysed through an interdisciplinary perspective, combining migration studies, criminology and peace and conflict studies.
In the context of Europe’s recent migration crisis, human smuggling is characterised by most European governments as a heinous crime conducted by ruthless networks of smugglers whose nefarious trade needs to be stopped. Recent counter-smuggling operations, however, have involved not transnational crime members, but women and men who as part of humanitarian organizations volunteer to conduct rescue operations at EU borders seeking to save the lives of migrants trying to enter Europe. The aim of this postdoctoral project was to explore the criminalisation of humanitarianism.
The project was carried out at the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), within the school of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, the University of Oxford. During the project, Anja Simonsen did a six-month stay as a visiting researcher at the Centre for Global Criminology (CGC) at the University of Copenhagen among specialised transnational organised crime researchers. This stay provided her with unique access to criminology and human smuggling experts, who provided valuable insights into the crime’s dynamics.
Researchers
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Phone | |
| Anja Simonsen | Associate Professor | +4535323492 |
Funded by:
The Criminalisation of Humanitarianism: From Volunteers to Human Smugglers in Italy has received a two year funding from Carlsbergfondet.
Project: The Criminalisation of Humanitarianism: From Volunteers to Human Smugglers in Italy
Period: July 2021 - March 2024