Multilevel Governance of Migration and Integration Policies

Multilevel governance of migration and integration policies refers to the complex web of interactions among international bodies, national governments, regional authorities, local jurisdictions and non-state actors in the design, implementation and evaluation of measures affecting migrants. At the global level, frameworks such as the International Organization for Migration’s compacts and United Nations declarations set broad objectives for mobility and rights protection. National authorities translate these into legislation on admission, asylum procedures and integration entitlements, while regional and municipal governments adapt and execute policies according to local capacities and priorities. Non-governmental organisations, community groups and private service providers also play key roles in facilitation, advocacy and service delivery. Vertical relations between tiers of government often reveal tensions over resource allocation, policy coherence and democratic legitimacy, whereas horizontal relations among local actors may give rise to collaborative networks or competitive dynamics. The result is a contested and negotiated order in which principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and local autonomy intersect, shaping both the opportunities available to migrants and the responsibilities shouldered by different levels of governance.

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Multilevel Governance of Migration and Integration Policies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multilevel governance of migration and integration policies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multilevel governance: Coordination of policy processes across international, national, regional and local authorities, including non-state actors.

Integration policies: Measures and strategies aimed at facilitating migrants’ social, economic and civic inclusion within host societies.

Strategic migration partnerships: Formal alliances among government bodies, agencies and civil society to coordinate migration management and integration efforts.

Reporting obligations: Legal duties imposed on welfare institutions to notify migration authorities about individuals with irregular status.

References

1. Governing through partnership: Strategic migration partnerships and the politics of enrolment and ambivalence. Political Geography (2024).
2. Delegating migration control to local welfare actors: Reporting obligations in practice. Journal of European Social Policy (2023).
3. Multilevel governance in trouble: the implementation of asylum seekers’ reception in Italy as a battleground. Comparative Migration Studies (2020).