WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2015 Migrants and Cities: New Partnerships to Manage Mobility
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development. It showcases innovative ways in which migration and urbanization policies can be better aligned for the benefit of migrants and cities. This report’s examination of migrants and cities is not exhaustive. It is indicative of the immense scope and complexity of the field. As such the report does not deliver easy policy lessons. It acknowledges that the policy challenges are complex – how to maximize the benefits of migration for city development whilst reducing the risks of migration for cities and migrants. The report highlights some innovative ways in which cities have addressed these challenges.
Proviso There is a renewed enthusiasm and interest in focusing on cities and their diversity, especially defined by ethnic diversity. This often involves a consideration of rich cities in the Global North, urban elites and skilled migrants. According to UN-Habitat, cities are economic engines which can steer the world towards prosperity, especially in developing regions (UN-Habitat, 2013; UN DESA, 2012). In North America migrants are seen as agents of city growth and competitiveness (AS/COA, 2014). Europe sees diversity, partly induced by international migration, as an asset for the development of a city and the Council of Europe strongly supports public discourse and urban institutions that take diversity positively into account.4 In this context, there are quite a few and a growing number of city networks that strengthen relations among local institutions and draw collective good practices from their individual experiences, with the shared goal of sustainable urban development and governance. They include the Canada-based Maytree Foundation’s “Cities of Migration”5 and the OPENCities, co-founded by the EU and the British Council. In addition to these city networks (Eurocities, 2010, 2014), various international organizations (Price and Chako, 2013; UNESCO and UN-Habitat, 2010), political think tanks (Kerr, McDaniel and Guinan, 2014; McHugh, 2014) and national and global forums for research and policy on migration and cities (Metropolis, 2011; Cities of Migration, 2012) have already published compilations of good practices of inclusion policies, mostly from Europe and North America, and also some from Latin America. Some of these collections have a specific thematic focus, for example, the communication strategies of local authorities for the promotion of positive attitudes towards migrants (Collett and Gidley, 2012). The present report aims to build on these important initiatives and to address the challenges faced by cities of the Global South, particularly in capitalizing on inward migration flows. Many important questions remain in this discussion about cities and migration, for instance: • How can the good practices of developed countries be replicated in other countries with limited resources, including small island developing States that are adjusting to rapid urban transitions? • How useful are the lessons of more advanced States in managing diversity?
• How are local and central governments and their numerous non-State partners able to achieve optimal practice-to-policy outcomes? 4 5
See the Council of Europe's website at: www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/cities/default_EN.asp? Intercultural cities: governance and policies for diverse communities. See the Cities of Migration Conference in Berlin in June 2014 on “An Agenda for Shared Prosperity” : http://2014conference.citiesofmigration.ca/