Panel 24: Migration, Shelter and Contemporary Inclusion (EN & PT)

Chair: Carla Vieira (CHAM, FCSH, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa)

17 April, 9:00 | Room C009

Formal and Informal Support Networks in the Inclusion of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in a Neoliberal Context: The Externalisation of Social Protection in Portugal and Spain

Beatriz Águas (ISCTE-IUL)

This presentation analyses the role of formal and informal support networks in the reception and inclusion processes of asylum seekers and refugees in Portugal and Spain. It examines how, in a context where the Welfare State adopts a neoliberal model, there is an intentional transfer of responsibilities to the third sector and civil society regarding the reception and inclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, in areas such as access to housing, healthcare, education/training, the labour market and services. This model is grounded in the belief that the Welfare State does not fully fulfil its functions and that delegating responsibilities to the third sector or private entities, through funding, may result in more efficient policies. This reality is particularly visible in Southern Europe, where a familialist tradition and neoliberal logic converge to push social protection into the private and informal sphere. While these support networks become spaces for the construction of belonging and agency, they also emerge as a response to a deliberate and structural transfer of responsibilities from the state to the moral, emotional, and practical domain of civil society. It is therefore necessary to reflect critically on the social and political effects of outsourcing public responsibility to civil society networks.

Using a qualitative methodology—combining participant observation at the Centro de Acolhimento para Refugiados (Refugee Reception Centre) in Portugal and interviews with members of formal support networks in Portugal and informal ones in Spain, taking into account their heterogeneity—this study seeks to understand how these formal and informal support networks operate, what impacts they have on inclusion processes, and what inequalities arise from their presence or absence. The presentation offers a critical reflection on the externalisation of social protection and the consequences of an inclusion model based on informal and unequal social capital.

Keywords: support networks; inclusion; asylum seekers and refugees; welfare state; neoliberalism

Bridging the Gap: The Role of Refugee Organizations in the U.S. and Spain

Elizabeth Salley (Saint Louis University)

At the end of 2024, 123.2 million people across the world were reported to be forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations (UNHCR, 2024). Refugee organizations (ROs) play an essential role in filling service gaps left by governments and providing essential services such as housing, social support, transportation, mental healthcare, and other integration assistance, but their capacities are profoundly shaped by national policy environments and funding structures. This study investigates how ROs respond to shifting political and institutional conditions by comparing two case studies: St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, and Madrid, Spain. The U.S. case is defined by the disruptions of the Trump administration, which suspended refugee admissions, withheld most federal funding for refugees, and drastically reduced eligibility for asylum. In this context, St. Louis ROs faced the dual challenge of serving thousands of existing refugee residents while losing the federal resources historically used to support them. Organizations have developed local partnerships, mobilized community resources, and recalibrated their services in ways that reveal both resilience and precarity. Madrid, by contrast, offers a counterpoint for comparison. Under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain has expanded its role as a leader in refugee resettlement, pairing increased arrivals with national integration policies. While this policy environment provides more formal support than in the U.S., Madrid-based ROs still contend with high demand, bureaucratic constraints, and funding dependencies that shape their ability to meet refugee needs. The project utilizes qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, and systems thinking. The sample includes 15-20 service providers in each city (30–40 total) and 20–25 refugee participants (12–15 in St. Louis, 8–10 in Madrid). Data collection in St. Louis is already underway and expected to be completed in March 2026; fieldwork in Madrid will commence in April 2026. Analysis will be guided by thematic coding and synthesized through systems thinking tools, including the iceberg model and causal feedback loop diagrams. These frameworks allow for the identification of leverage points within complex systems, offering both theoretical and applied insights into refugee resettlement. This study ultimately highlights how divergent welfare regimes and political climates influence both the organizational strategies of ROs and the lived experiences of refugees. This comparative design demonstrates that refugee integration is not determined solely by policy frameworks but also by the adaptive practices of local organizations navigating shifting resource environments. The ultimate goal of the project will be to contribute to scholarship on migration and organizational sociology while also providing actionable knowledge for refugee organization practitioners and activist leaders in the respective communities.

Keywords: refugee; resettlement policy; refugee organizations; comparative case study; systems thinking