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The new challenges of anti-racist solidarity between the tightening of the border regime and new political imaginaries: An ethnographic research in the city of Padova

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  • Filomena Gaia Farina,
  • Omid Firouzi Tabar
Filomena Gaia Farina
Università di Padova
Omid Firouzi Tabar
Università di Padova
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/cambio-18527

Published 2025-12-22

Keywords

  • Anti-racist solidarity,
  • Grassroots activism,
  • Border regime,
  • Migration,
  • Humanitarian-securitarian nexus

How to Cite

Farina, F. G., & Firouzi Tabar, O. (2025). The new challenges of anti-racist solidarity between the tightening of the border regime and new political imaginaries: An ethnographic research in the city of Padova. Cambio. Rivista Sulle Trasformazioni Sociali. https://doi.org/10.36253/cambio-18527

Copyright (c) 2025 Filomena Gaia Farina, Omid Firouzi Tabar

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article explores the new challenges of anti-racist solidarity in the context of increasinglyrestrictive migration policies and the evolving political landscape. Based on ethnographic researchconducted in Padova, Italy, it examines the role of grassroots solidarity initiatives and theirambivalent relationship with the tightening border regime. The research investigates the experiences and daily practices of volunteers, activists, and solidarity participants, focusingparticularly on asylum seekers, within a shifting socio-political framework characterized by the convergence of humanitarian and securitarian mechanisms.

The analysis draws on the concept of migration autonomy, considering both its potential for resistance and its inherent contradictions. Solidarity practices, particularly in urban contexts wheremigrants are marginalized and excluded, have become critical in addressing the most severe social consequences of these policies. Despite the transformative potential of grassroots solidarity, theseefforts are increasingly exposed to the pressures of the border regime, often resulting in the reproduction of paternalistic and infantilizing dynamics within solidarity networks. The articlehighlights the difficulties faced by volunteers and activists, including the overwhelming demands from vulnerable individuals and the lack of institutional support, which complicate their ability to challenge the border system effectively.

Ultimately, the research raises important questions about the capacity of anti-racist solidarity to disrupt the prevailing border regime, particularly in the absence of the migrant subjectivities it aimsto support. Through this reflection, the study examines the limitations and contradictions inherent in solidarity work, suggesting that while grassroots efforts can be subversive, they also risk becomingcomplicit in the very system they seek to oppose.

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