Special issue: city network activism and the governance of migration

Abstract

In August 2021, the coming to power of the Taliban led to the exile of thousands of Afghan citizens, fearing for their lives. Images of the mass exodus and the accompanying chaos and distress at Kabul airport appalled citizens worldwide. Yet, as was the case with Syria in September 2015, national political leaders, especially from European Union (EU) member states, adopted an ambiguous discourse, referring to the moral duty to welcome refugees while stressing the need to protect their borders from what they perceive as future ‘irregular’ migration and potential security threats. In response to this repeated emphasis on preventing migration flows, several mayors across the world expressed their desire to welcome Afghan exiles into their cities, notably calling on national governments ‘to immediately open their doors to Afghan refugees and provide the resources needed to facilitate resettlement’. This type of city-mobilisation in favour of exiles results from collective dynamics, institutional constraints and strategic action. Transnational city networks (TCNs) provide a good illustration of such processes, as cities – considered here as collective actors consisting first and foremost of municipal and local authorities, but also of civil society organisations, citizens and interest groups as well as business leaders – connect in order to call for greater recognition of their roles in the governance of migration. Indeed, city networks tend to be positioned as intermediaries between national and supranational institutions – both of which set the rules for migration policies – and subnational governments, which are more involved in the reception of exiles on a day-to-day basis. For instance, in June 2021, several European mayors, members of civil society organisations, representatives of European institutions, and academics participated in the international conference ‘From