MigIntegrEast · Migrant integration governance in CEE cities post 2015

Migrant integration governance in CEE cities post 2015

The MigIntegrEast project aims to access a novel form of migration governance that emerged in Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities in the post-2015 context. The governance of immigrant integration (managing immigrant integration by state and non-state actors) in cities occupies a vital role in the public discourse, in EU, national, and local politics, and in academic debates. It mobilizes a wide range of sometimes adversative responses from state and non-state actors at supranational, national, and local levels. In light of the 2015 crisis of humanitarian protection of refugees in Europe, it is critical to understand what drives these different responses. By focusing specifically on cities in CEE, the research goal of MigIntegrEast is to identify the role of macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors and processes in the governance of integration of immigrants in the post-2015 context. MigIntegrEast asks: what are the roles of (1) supranational and state-level factors, (2) local level factors and (3) individual-level characteristics in immigrant integration governance by state- (local administration) and non-state actors (e.g., NGOs, grassroots groups, migrant groups) in CEE cities? Integration governance is analyzed in four Polish and two Hungarian cities selected based on the criterion of congruence and incongruence with the national-level policies and policy responses post-2015 crisis. The methodology builds on a comparative case study design and uses qualitative data collection methods and computer-assisted thematic analysis. Approaching the well-established field of local immigrant integration policies from a perspective of under-researched CEE cities, the project makes advancements in immigrant integration governance outside the Western European and North American contexts.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union