Are small towns a battleground for migration governance? Negotiating refugee integration in small towns in the Netherlands

Elina Jonitz*, Maria Schiller, Peter Scholten

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

A surge in refugee arrivals post-2015 challenged small localities across Europe to respond to ‘refugee integration’ locally. Existing literature focuses little on governance dynamics in small localities, particularly regarding actors’ roles and relations. Based on fieldwork in four Dutch localities, we analyse the involvement of different actor types and explore if/how they develop collaborative relations. We show that small town governments engage in different forms of collaborative governance, from consolidated actor networks and intensive collaboration between local governments and CSOs to fragmented networks with more passive governments. However, we also find conflicts among actors due to power asymmetries and diverging interests and values. We identify several factors shaping interaction patterns, including localities’ size, political orientation, political leadership, residents’ attitudes and municipal decision-making. Despite outsourcing tasks, local governments remain pivotal in integration governance, giving them a crucial role in creating inclusive, participatory spaces, preventing actors’ alienation and designing efficient policy responses.
Original languageEnglish
JournalLocal Government Studies
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 21 May 2024

Bibliographical note

©2024 The Author(s)

Research programs

  • ESSB PA
  • ESSB SOC

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