Using a theoretical framework conceptualising mobility regimes, solidarity, as well as scales and "sanctuary/solidarity cities", this article examines notions of locally scaled solidarity by looking at Hamburg and Athens. We undertake comparisons on three dimensions. First, between the historical and institutional context of migration in Germany and Greece. Second, between urban movements in Hamburg and Athens. Finally, between the balance sheet of Seebr€ ucke Hamburg and the Solidarity Cities Initiative of Athens. We contend that different migrant mobilities, as well as the solidarity movements they bring forth, structure different geographies of solidarity. We argue that movements in Hamburg were relatively more successful in renegotiating restrictive migration regimes on the local scale than their counterparts in Athens. We view these differences as prefigured by different types of migrant mobility-arrival in Hamburg, transit in Athens-in the context of a European bordering geography characterised by asymmetrical power relations.
Social researchers often walk a tightrope. On the one hand, they try to adhere to ethical principles when working with vulnerable groups. On the other, they aim to not cast these groups as inherently lacking agency. Digital practices have only made this dilemma more acute by strengthening the agency of vulnerable groups—in this case, those within the European border regime threatened by deportation—while also putting migrants at increased danger from bordering and surveillance practices. Drawing from a militant research approach, as well as from the Autonomy of Migration (AoM) perspective, this contribution illuminates this dilemma, while also arguing for reflexive and contextualised ethics aimed towards solidarity and social change.
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