CfP Panel “Migration and Immigrant Integration at the Subnational and Local Level: the Interplay Between Politics, Policies and Governance”- 2022 ECPR General Conference

Panel Chairs: Andrea Pettrachin (Collegio Carlo Alberto) and Verena Wisthaler (European Accademy of Bolzano)

ECPR General Conference University, Innsbruck (Austria)- 22-26 August- Section “S21- International Migration Governance: Policies and Practices in Diverse Societies” (endorsed by the ECPR Standing Group Migration and Ethnicity)

Panel abstract: Over the last few years, many European countries have received an unprecedented number of asylum seekers and refugees. This led to a growing involvement of regional and local governments in policymaking around migration and, particularly, around the integration of these recent migrants. The responses of the local and regional levels to the challenges related to these new migrant settlements were influenced by two broad phenomena. On the one hand, the migration issue has become highly politicised, both at the national level but also at the local and regional levels. On the other hand, the challenges posed by the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ and the politicisation of migration led to the involvement of a growing number of (governmental and non-governmental) actors in  ‘local migration governance’ (Schiller 2019) and in migration-related policymaking and implementation. This could result in cooperation or conflicts among actors across governmental levels or to independent initiatives by non-governmental actors.

This panel aims to assess the interplays between these key developments, looking at the politics of local and subnational migration policymaking and governance. We therefore welcome contributions that focus on the local/subnational politicisation of migration and local/subnational party politics; local/subnational migration policymaking; local/subnational migration or integration governance. We are particularly interested in the interaction between actors involved in these governance systems and interactions between levels of governance. We particularly welcome contributions that focus on small and medium-size towns and rural areas

Please submit your paper proposals (including a title, a 250-word paper abstract, and the name, institutional affiliation of the authors) to Andrea Pettrachin (andrea.pettrachin@carloalberto.org) and Verena Wisthaler (Verena.Wisthaler@eurac.edu) by Monday, February 7 2022.