Migration, Mobility, and War: A Transnational Analysis of Diaspora Volunteering in Civil Conflicts

This article argues for a shift in the paradigm when analysing transnational war volunteering, commonly known as foreign fighting. Instead of overemphasizing the roles of criminal and security aspects or individual motivational factors, this new analytical approach will transform the debate from actor to action. This article introduces the theoretical discussion of transnationalism within civil wars and ethnic conflicts. By comparatively analysing conflicts in Kosovo (1999), Karabakh (1988–1994), and Abkhazia (1992–1993), this article answers the questions of how transnational diaspora volunteers mobilize, travel, and adapt to the war zones. The paper concludes that communities in the diaspora use sending volunteers as a tool to show solidarity with their relatives in the homeland. Diaspora’s already established interest and connections with the motherland in the pre-conflict stage before the crisis turned into a fully-fledged war is an essential element in the rapidity of the mobilization process. Even if the means of reaching the conflict zones are not without challenges, they still try multiple methods of travel such as air, sea, and road. Finally, this solidarity has its complications, often ignored, such as linguistic, dialectical, and cultural differences.