The City as an Actor of Migration Policy: Systematization of Modern Approaches
( Pp. 101-110)
More about authors
Orlova Irina V.
Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Professor; Professor, Scientific and Educational Center “Theory and Technologies of Management in the Field of Culture, Education and Science”, Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service; Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
Moscow, Russian Federation Rogachev Sergey V. Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Professor; chief researcher
Institute of Socio-Political Research of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISPR FCTAS RAS)
Moscow, Russian Federation Ruzhnikov Ilya V. postgraduate student; Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
Moscow State Technological University “Stankin”
Moscow, Russian Federation Paveleva Tatyana Yu. Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Associate Professor; Head, Department of Philosophy and Social Management; Moscow State Technological University “Stankin”; Moscow, Russian Federation
Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
Moscow, Russian Federation Rogachev Sergey V. Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Professor; chief researcher
Institute of Socio-Political Research of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISPR FCTAS RAS)
Moscow, Russian Federation Ruzhnikov Ilya V. postgraduate student; Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
Moscow State Technological University “Stankin”
Moscow, Russian Federation Paveleva Tatyana Yu. Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Associate Professor; Head, Department of Philosophy and Social Management; Moscow State Technological University “Stankin”; Moscow, Russian Federation
Abstract:
The article examines theoretical approaches to understanding the city as an actor in migration policy. Its aim is to systematize approaches to defining the role of cities as migration-policy actors on the basis of the multi-level governance and internal borders frameworks. This involves reconstructing the key propositions of these frameworks, comparing them, and assessing their applicability to the analysis of megacities and urban agglomerations. The study is theoretical-analytical and comparative, and is grounded in a review of the academic literature. The comparison relies on criteria relating to how the city and its boundaries are conceptualized, the agency attributed to actors, coordination mechanisms, interpretations of governance practices, and methodological preferences. The analysis shows that multi-level governance captures the institutional architecture of regulation, vertical and horizontal interactions between levels of authority, and the inclusion of non-state actors, but is less effective in accounting for the dynamics of local conflicts. By contrast, the internal borders framework explains how control and inclusion are produced through routine practices in urban space and treats all city residents as participants in this process; however, it often relies on fragmented qualitative case studies and devotes less attention to structural dimensions. The article concludes that the two approaches are complementary and can be used jointly, and that they remain applicable to large urbanized areas even when these are fragmented into multiple administrative units. The findings refine the conceptual and methodological toolkit and provide a basis for further empirical testing in large urban contexts.
How to Cite:
Orlova, I.V., Rogachev, S.V., Ruzhnikov, I.V., & Paveleva, T.Yu. (2026). The city as an actor of migration policy: Systematization of modern approaches. Sociopolitical Sciences, 16(2), 101–110. DOI: 10.33693/2223-0092-2026-16-2-101-110. EDN: PDRILI
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Shogunts A.V. Horizontal migration governance in the European Union: Case of Italy. Contemporary Europe. 2022. No. 5. Pp. 183–194. (In Rus.). DOI: 10.31857/S020170832205014X. EDN: GNSFID.
Bueno Lacy R., van Houtum H. Europe’s spectacular borderlines: On refugee camps, banlieues and other spaces of exception. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 2024. Vol. 47. Issue 12. Pp. 2652–2674. DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2024.2344685.
Caponio T., Jones-Correa M. Theorising migration policy in multilevel states: The multilevel governance perspective. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 2018. Vol. 44. Issue 12. Pp. 1995–2010. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2017.1341705.
Hollifield J.F., Wong T.K. The politics of international migration. In: Migration theory: Talking across disciplines. 4th ed. Routledge, 2023. Pp. 269–305. DOI: 10.4324/9781003121015-8.
Lacroix T. Migration-related city networks: A global overview. Local Government Studies, 2022. Vol. 48. Issue 6. Pp. 1027–1047. DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2021.1938553.
Mahmoudi M. Migrants in the digital periphery: New urban frontiers of control. Oakland: University of California Press, 2025. 272 p. ISBN: 9780520397019.
Scholten P. Mainstreaming versus alienation: A complexity approach to the governance of migration and diversity. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. 223 p. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42238-7.
de-Shalit A. Cities and immigration: A reply. Journal of Applied Philosophy. 2023. Vol. 40. Issue 3. Pp. 430–440. DOI: 10.1111/japp.12520.
Sinatti G. Border as mess: Navigating contradictions and borderwork in civil society migrant assistance. Journal of Intercultural Studies. 2023. Vol. 44. Issue 1. Pp. 12–27. DOI: 10.1080/07256868.2022.2104825.
Zincone G., Caponio T. The multilevel governance of migration // The dynamics of international migration and settlement in Europe: A state of the art. R. Penninx, M. Berger (eds.). Amsterdam University Press, 2006. Pp. 269–304. DOI: 10.1515/9789048504176. ISBN: 9789048504176.
Keywords:
international migration, city, local turn, multi-level governance, internal borders, new governance, megacity.
