Making sense of trajectories of participation in European city networks on migration: insights from the cases of Turin (Italy) and Saint-Etienne (France)

French city networking: Drivers and rationale for national investment

“…However, this dynamic is fragile, relying as it does on one individual, as in Bristol with its mayor, Martin Reeves (Salomon, 2021). Caponio and Clément (2021) go beyond that assertion. They conclude that a high degree of personal investment in TCNs can weaken city investment in a risky political subject: migration.…”

European city network on migrants with irregular status: Exploring functions and outcomes on a sensitive policy issue

“…While the literature has largely focused on these external functions, we know less about networks’ internal dynamics, the factors which shape them, and the implications. Recent comparative work on French cities (Fourot et al., 2021), and on French and Italian cities ( Caponio & Clément, 2021) has thrown light on the “passivism” of some members. Discomfort with a network's priorities, lack of consistency within a city council on its own approach, changes in political leadership and lack of “network professionals” who use their personal contacts to sustain networks, are among the reasons for cities selectively distancing themselves from a network's activities.…”

“…Discomfort with a network's priorities, lack of consistency within a city council on its own approach, changes in political leadership and lack of “network professionals” who use their personal contacts to sustain networks, are among the reasons for cities selectively distancing themselves from a network's activities. This demonstrates the importance of understanding the factors that shape the nature of cities’ engagement, and of distinguishing between the apparent robustness of a network and the varying degrees of participation of its members (Caponio & Clément, 2021; Fourot et al., 2021).…”

“…The decision to participate in a network can be the initiative of “entrepreneurial mayors” ( Caponio & Clément, 2021) and this was the case for Athens whose Deputy Mayor became the city's representative. Other representatives interviewed said the decision to join was initiated at officer level.…”

“…City engagement in transnational municipal networks in the migration field (TMNs) is widely seen as positive, empowering delivery of pragmatic, inclusive solutions against a background of national policy constraints. Yet, the evidence for that optimism is limited (Caponio & Clément, 2021) and analysis of the functions, internal dynamics and outcomes of these networks leaves many questions unanswered. This article presents a case study of one city network, the City Initiative on Migrants with Irregular Status in Europe (C‐MISE), as a contribution to our understanding and toward assessing the significance of the role TMNs could play in the future governance of migration.…”