Abstract

In this contribution, we investigate how the role of cities in the governance of refugee integration has changed as a consequence of the Europeanization of asylum policies into a Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in conjunction with the “refugee crisis” of 2015, which this CEAS turned out to be unable to adequately cope with. We will answer this question by first giving a quick overview of scholarly thinking on the role of the city in global issues in general, and in migration issues in particular. After this we provide an exploratory analysis of the role cities presently see for themselves as cities, as well as jointly organized in European networks.

Highlights

  • There is an important stream of literature arguing for a more local approach to global issues in general and, though less so, migration issues in particular

  • City networks voice complaints about the Dublin III regulation, which stipulates as a core principle of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) that the European country an asylum seeker first sets foot on, is and remains responsible for all that follows, be it integration, temporary protection, or rejection and deportation

  • We have shown that city governments “feel” they are underestimated and even neglected as agents in national and European policymaking with regards to migration, both in general terms as well as for refugee integration

Read more

Summary

Introduction

There is an important stream of literature arguing for a more local approach to global issues in general and, though less so, migration issues in particular. We can observe how cities contest policies or seek and exercise discretion when national policies turn out to be unenforceable, politically undesirable or at cross-purposes with their specific mandate (e.g., maintaining public order; see, for the Dutch case, Kos, Maussen, & Doomernik, 2016; for the US, Canada and the UK see Bauder, 2017). Cities steering their own course is not new or unique for Europe. We evaluate in which domains these present policy ambitions depart from those that traditionally belong to the realm of urban governance, and those that represent a European “local turn” in response to the “refugee crisis”

Cities and Governance
Cities and Migration
Legal Political Domain
Labour Market
Housing
Social Inclusion
Municipal Foreign Policies
Policy Harmonisation and Policy Transfer
Public Awareness and Legitimacy
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call