Fuzzy edges of social capital: the migration–mobility nexus through the lens of a local third sector organisation

Abstract

Since the 2015 migration crisis, third sector organisations’ (TSOs’) involvement in delivering various social, humanitarian, political and cultural services to incoming populations has increased. The recent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have not only intensified insecurity around economics and personal and communal safety, but also disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, movers and non-movers. By assuming human mobility as a structural feature of contemporary times, our intention in this article is to take a closer look at migrant TSOs to observe how social capital is generated and becomes available to individuals. Our aim is to elaborate on various dimensions of migration, social capital and the third sector, as at their intersection lies a synergy that is hardly ever explored. We appraise current literature and analytical tools to capture the role of TSOs in supporting the inclusion of migrants/movers, examine the intersection between migration, TSOs and social capital and, relatedly, consider the role of TSOs in effecting positive social change.