Refugees, expellees and immigrants: comparing migrant reception policies and practices in post-war Bristol, Dortmund and Malmö

Brian Shaev,Sarah Hackett,Pål Brunnström,Robert Nilsson Mohammadi

doi:10.1017/s0963926821001048

Brian Shaev, Sarah Hackett + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0963926821001048

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Abstract

AbstractThe vital role that cities play in the governance of migration is increasingly recognized, yet migration scholars still perceive this ‘local turn’ as a recent phenomenon. This article presents a cross-country and cross-city comparative analysis of three mid-size European cities during the post-war period: Bristol, Dortmund and Malmö. It analyses administrative cultures and local policy arenas, exposing the complexity of local migration policy-making and the crucial importance of historical perspectives. It reveals the inherent local variation in policies and practices, and argues that traditional national-level studies do not fully capture how urban actors responded to migration.

Highlights

Migration studies in Europe have taken a sharp ‘local turn’ in recent years, as scholars increasingly appreciate how local settings shape and foster the reception and integration of migrants
The vital role that cities play in the governance of migration is increasingly recognized, yet migration scholars still perceive this ‘local turn’ as a recent phenomenon
The article is structured to highlight the rich history of city interactions in each urban case-study, before bringing them together in comparative analysis. It begins with sections on Dortmund, Bristol and Malmö, respectively, and culminates in a comparative section in which we investigate local governance by exploring first the impact of city histories and identities on administrative cultures of migration; and secondly horizontal interactions in local policy arenas and vertical interactions of cities with state and national contexts

Summary

Introduction

Migration studies in Europe have taken a sharp ‘local turn’ in recent years, as scholars increasingly appreciate how local settings shape and foster the reception and integration of migrants. It reveals how and why municipalities, and other local-level actors, reacted to the settlement and integration of migrant communities at different times in the post-war period.

Results

Conclusion