Migrants and refugees

Abstract

The arrival, reception, and inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in receiving localities have yet to be carefully investigated through the lens of the social and solidarity economy (SSE). Here, the SSE is defined as a wide set of organizations, including cooperatives, mutual associations, foundations, voluntary and community organizations, registered charities, and non-governmental organizations, as well as informal entities, all sharing a number of peculiar features. These features of SSE organizations include the following: they prioritize meeting the needs of people over making a profit; they are guided by values such as equity, solidarity, sustainability, participation, and inclusion; they are concerned about the communities wherein they operate; and they are democratic and transformative in nature. So far, little attention has been paid to the impact of welcome initiatives aiming to host asylum seekers and refugees which are promoted by the SSE in receiving communities. Neither have the peculiar organizational characteristics that allow SSE organizations to ensure the provision of high-quality welcome services, and to facilitate the effective integration of recipients in receiving communities, been adequately investigated. Additionally, the initiatives of migrants who have made recourse to the SSE through self-organization, instead of setting up traditional enterprises, have been overlooked by research.