Overcoming borders: the Europeanization of civil society activism in the 'refugee crisis'

Civil society has become an active player in the public reception and handling of the 'refugee crisis', especially through the use of social media. People willing to engage are able to connect in a low-threshold, local, and interactive way, while also keeping connected to similar movements in other EU countries. This process of connection and collaboration can be regarded as an instance of 'bottom-up' Europeanization processes, in which national and subnational actors work together transnationally to reach a common goal. Social media as fora for exchange allow efficient communication, present a possibility to directly lobby the decision makers (e.g. local politicians), and provide an apt tool for the planning of collective actions. The internet offers de-securitising forces a forum for presenting alternative discourses on migration, contributing to de-securitisation processes by moving away from the predominant framing of migration as a threat. The present paper therefore aims to look at 'bottom-up' Europeanization and new possibilities for collaboration through the internet as a transnational, de-securitising open forum for discussion. A group of civil society pro-refugee activists in South Tyrol (Northern Italy) and their transnational activities will serve as a case study.