Migration Governance in Three European Cities New Local Paradigms?

Immigration and the diversification of urban populations are among the major challenges being faced by European cities today. Over the past two decades, social and political debates have grown increasingly critical of ‘multiculturalism’, which is blamed for the loss of social cohesion and national identities. Therefore, national governments have shifted towards restrictive integration regimes whereby immigrants are required to adapt to the putative national culture. While studies of migration governance have traditionally focused on the national level, there is increasing interest in how local governments––who are most directly confronted with migration-related issues––view integration. New concepts used by city governments, such as diversity or interculturalism, would indicate a departure from assimilatory national rhetoric and/or policy, but their meaning and application remain unclear. Through a comparison of three European cities––Amsterdam, Stockholm and Vienna––we seek to understand the different uses of these concepts and relate them to the specific urban and national context.