Between Haitian Migrants and the Chilean State: A Case Study of the Organization Fundación Frè

Stepputat, Frida

4. term

Global Refugee Studies, Master

2017

46

I de seneste årtier har Chile oplevet stigende immigration, herunder nye tilflyttere fra Haiti. Haitianske migranter møder ofte mange barrierer, som gør dem sårbare. To vigtige årsager er en forældet og selektiv udlændingelovgivning og racenationalisme—ideer, der knytter national identitet til race og fremstiller immigration som en trussel. Denne afhandling er et casestudie af Fundación Fré, en organisation der arbejder i rummet mellem haitianske migranter og den chilenske stat. Fré søger at hjælpe, ledsage og støtte integrationen af haitianske migranter og viser, hvordan civilsamfundsaktører kan præge relationen mellem migranter og staten. Jeg udførte feltarbejde hos Fré som frivillig ved brug af deltagerobservation—jeg arbejdede sammen med ansatte og migranter for at iagttage hverdagspraksisser. Med afsæt i litteratur om nonprofit-organisationer og sociale bevægelser analyserer afhandlingen Frés mål, samspil med myndighederne og hvordan interne dynamikker påvirker arbejdet. Studiet viser, at Fré kombinerer velgørende hjælp med aktiviteter, der fremmer integration. Valget af målgrupper og deltagelse i den offentlige debat fungerer som en kritik af staten og visse samfundsstrukturer. Samtidig agerer Fré som beskytter og mægler ved at hjælpe migranter med kontakt til staten og adgang til rettigheder. Dermed bliver organisationen delvist en erstatning for staten ved at levere ydelser, der normalt opfattes som et offentligt ansvar. Det indebærer en risiko for, at Fré bliver en forlængelse af staten, reproducerer officielle prioriteringer og muliggør statens fortsatte fravær. Interne uenigheder og stærk fokus på frivilliges personlige motivationer kan aflede opmærksomheden fra de overordnede mål, når deltagelse i sig selv bliver et mål. Samlet kan disse forhold begrænse Frés mulighed for at skabe bredere forandringer i det chilenske samfund.

Over recent decades, Chile has seen growing immigration, including new arrivals from Haiti. Haitian migrants often face multiple hurdles that leave them vulnerable. Two important causes are an outdated, selective migration law and racial nationalism—ideas that tie national identity to race and frame immigration as a threat. This thesis presents a case study of Fundación Fré, an organization that works in the space between Haitian migrants and the Chilean state. Fré seeks to help, accompany, and support the integration of Haitian migrants, showing how civil society actors can shape relations between migrants and the state. I carried out fieldwork with Fré as a volunteer, using participant observation—working alongside staff and migrants to observe everyday practices. Drawing on research about non-profit organizations and social movements, the thesis analyzes Fré’s goals, how it interacts with public authorities, and how its internal dynamics influence its work. The study finds that Fré combines charitable assistance with activities that promote integration. Its choice of whom to serve and its voice in public debate amount to a critique of the state and certain social structures. At the same time, Fré acts as a protector and mediator by helping migrants contact the state and access their rights. In doing so, it partly substitutes for the state by providing services usually seen as a government responsibility. This creates a risk that Fré becomes an extension of the state, reproducing official priorities and allowing continued state absence. Internal disagreements and the prominence of volunteers’ personal motivations can divert attention from the organization’s broader objectives, as participation itself becomes an end. Taken together, these factors can limit Fré’s ability to initiate wider change in Chilean society.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

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