Unit 7: NGOs and Migration Governance

Migration Processes in Late Imperial Eastern Europe

Oleksii Chebotarov

Welcome to this, the third unit in the history module, in which we’ll examine the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in migration governance during the late Imperial period in Eastern Europe, a time of widespread mass westward migration and internal mobility.

As waves of migration reshaped the region, state institutions often proved unable or unwilling to effectively manage the growing movement of people. In this vacuum, NGOs emerged as facilitators of migration, offering essential support to displaced populations and influencing migration policies in ways that extended beyond traditional state control.

What’s at stake?

The unit focuses on how NGOs engaged in migration governance by addressing immediate humanitarian needs while also shaping broader migration processes.

Their activities ranged from providing legal assistance and logistical support to advocating for the rights of migrants and negotiating with state authorities.

These organizations operated within complex transnational networks, often collaborating with other civil society groups, diaspora communities, and intergovernmental bodies.

The case study of the Kyiv Jewish Emigration Society (KJES) illustrates how a non-state organization facilitated, regulated, and advocated for emigration at a time when formal state migration frameworks were either ineffective or restrictive.

In this unit, you will:

• examine how NGOs acted across legal, humanitarian, and transnational dimensions, particularly in facilitating Jewish migration from the Russian Empire to the United States;
• be introduced, through historical analysis and theoretical framing, to the idea that migration governance is not limited to state actors;
• consider how diaspora networks, philanthropy, logistical infrastructures, and international cooperation shaped early humanitarian efforts in Eastern Europe;
• by examining the case of the Kyiv Jewish Emigration Society and related NGO practices, engage with both primary sources and contemporary scholarship to gain a deeper understanding of the historical roots of today’s global migration challenges.

What’s in the unit?

The unit is divided into three main sections:

1. Key concepts and definitions in the study of the topic.
2. The historical context to the case study.
3. The case study: an investigation of the Kyiv Jewish Emigration Society.

Throughout the unit, you will have the opportunity, which we highly recommend you take, to explore additional sources of information through the Exercises sections. Independent analytical work will help you develop a more nuanced understanding of the core information provided in the unit.

A reading list and a list of other resources are provided at the end; this will guide you on how you can further explore different aspects of the topic.

What are your Learning Objectives?

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Understand the concept of migration governance and its application in late Imperial Eastern Europe.
• Identify and evaluate the role of non-governmental organizations in shaping migration processes during this period.
• Analyze the activities of the Kyiv Jewish Emigration Society as a case study of non-state migration governance.
• Explore the transnational networks and diaspora infrastructures that facilitated large-scale Jewish emigration.
• Reflect on the ways humanitarian organizations negotiated moral, expert, and logistical authority within political regimes.
• Compare historical examples of NGO-led migration support to modern refugee governance systems.
• Apply insights from this historical case to broader theoretical frameworks on migration, humanitarianism, and state-society relations.