Exploring the Frontiers of Solidarity and Intimacy in Refugee “Solidarity” Movements in France

In the face of continued refugee arrivals, militarising of borders, and decreasing State support, France has experienced a rapid growth in refugee “solidarity” organisations. These informal organisations, often composed of volunteers who have no previous experience of engagement with migration issues, offer a range of services such as housing, economic support, social or legal assistance. But whilst this growth of citizen “solidarity'' towards refugees may be welcome in providing services which the State is not, there is also potential for the production of gendered and racialised forms of violence and exploitation. In this article we explore the meanings of sexuality and intimacy in these relationships between volunteers and refugees, and the structures of power and inequality within which they are situated. We analyse the gendered and racialised dimensions of these relations and the ways in which “solidarity” may produce violence and exploitation.