ABSTRACT
This chapter explores to what extent spaces for migrant support civil society organizations in Malta, Cyprus and Slovenia have shrunk in recent years. Organizations active in small southern European Union member states bordering the Mediterranean Sea are increasingly facing operational challenges in offering migrant support. Within the wider context of shrinking civil society spaces, this chapter explores issues faced by organizations in relation to (a) accessing operational funding; (b) the demonization and rhetorical criminalization of migrants and migrant support organizations in political discourse; and (c) operational capacities to respond to social gaps left unattended, intentionally or otherwise, by governments. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with six migrant support non-governmental organization stakeholders in the three focus countries in order to elicit perspectives about the aforementioned challenges, as well as potential opportunities, in providing support to migrants.
