EU Externalization of Border and Migration Management in Serbia: The involvement and Impact of NGOs

This qualitative study maps relevant actors and explores their role in Serbia’s migration management system. The research’s main focus is put on the role and impact of the non-government sector. The study employs a qualitative, explorative design and utilizes an institutional logic lens, which positions and explains actor motivation and agency within a particular institutional framework. Additionally, this framework helps describe mutual relationships between different actors. The study evaluates the local presence of foreign actors, a consequence of EU externalization of migration and border management, as a complex factor that, combined with selective institutional state response to irregular migration flows, uniquely shapes institutional logics of the civil sector, as well as their application. The study contributes to expanding the knowledge of civil society response to irregular migration in third countries by shedding light on compelling institutional dynamics. Finally, the author discusses a number of implications that may form the basis for future research.