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Urbanising migration policy-making: Urban policies in support of irregular migrants in Geneva and Zürich

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  • David Kaufmann

    (ETH Zürich, Switzerland)

  • Dominique Strebel

    (ETH Zürich, Switzerland)

Abstract

Cities worldwide develop a variety of urban policies that address the precarious situation of irregular migrants. By doing so, cities intervene in a policy-making realm that is commonly perceived as the prerogative of national states and they thereby challenge the national state as the only regulatory body over immigration and citizenship. We compare policy-making in support of irregular migrants in the two biggest Swiss cities of Geneva and Zürich. Whereas Genevan authorities and local societal actors established a successful regularisation programme (called Operation Papyrus), actors in Zürich aim to create an urban ID card programme (called Züri City Card). We find that the institutional setting of the two cities (as a city-state or as a city in a state), the presence or absence of multilevel governance networks as well as societal actors’ different venue shopping strategies are key for explaining these different urban policy-making processes. Cities formulate place-based urban policy responses, but these specific urban policies can be viewed within the global struggles to improve the precarious situations of irregular migrants and to fight exclusionary national politics. In essence, this article documents and explains how cities contest national state sovereignty over immigration and citizenship and it thereby calls for an urbanisation of migration theory and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • David Kaufmann & Dominique Strebel, 2021. "Urbanising migration policy-making: Urban policies in support of irregular migrants in Geneva and Zürich," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(14), pages 2991-3008, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:58:y:2021:i:14:p:2991-3008
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098020969342
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Kaufmann, 2018. "Varieties of Capital Cities," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18179.
    2. Walter Nicholls, 2016. "Politicizing Undocumented Immigrants One Corner at a Time: How Day Laborers Became a Politically Contentious Group," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 299-320, March.
    3. KEVIN WARD & DAVID IMBROSCIO & Deborah Martin & Clarence Stone & Robert Whelan & Faranak Miraftab & Allan Cochrane, 2011. "Urban Politics: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 853-871, July.
    4. Thomas Swerts, 2017. "Creating Space For Citizenship: The Liminal Politics of Undocumented Activism," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 379-395, May.
    5. Pralle, Sarah B., 2003. "Venue Shopping, Political Strategy, and Policy Change: The Internationalization of Canadian Forest Advocacy," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 233-260, September.
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