Seminar: Barbara Oomen – Cities of Refuge

Cities of Refuge

In the wake of 2015, local authorities have increasingly claimed and been granted a key role in the management of migration. There are ‘fearless cities’ and ‘solidarity cities’ take a proactive stance on the inclusion of migrants, but also ‘cities that refuse’ to welcome and integrate refugees. In this seminar, Barbara Oomen discusses the first results of NWO Vici Cities of Refuge project, that focuses on these processes all throughout Europe. Why do local authorities diverge from national policies and how do they do so? In addressing these questions, she will highlight the relevance of transnational municipal networks, the role of local leadership and the relevance of  the law in these processes.

Barbara Oomen is a professor in the Sociology of Human Rights at Utrecht University, and based one of the UU honors colleges, University College Roosevelt in Middelburg. She is one of the chairs of the Focus Area on Migration and Societal Change, and project leader of Cities of Refuge.