Migration Governance in Central and Eastern European Cities Post-2015

Abstract

This open-access book provides a thorough overview of migration trends and governance in Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities since 2015. For decades, CEE cities were primarily shaped by emigration. However, more than a decade of unprecedented change—from the 2015 European refugee reception crisis to the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which triggered the largest forced displacement in Europe since World War II—has transformed the region into one of Europe’s most dynamic new immigrant destinations. This volume offers the first comprehensive account of how nine diverse CEE cities across Poland, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania are navigating this new reality. Moving beyond traditional Western-centric models, the book explores the ‘local turn’ in migration studies through the experiences of capital cities such as Warsaw, Prague, and Budapest. It also examines rapidly diversifying second-tier cities like Kraków and Brno, as well as border and shrinking cities including Lublin, Oradea, Płock, and Łomża. Readers are introduced to the innovative CEE Local Migrant Governance Index (CEELMiG), a novel tool designed to measure and compare local policies across CEE cities—capturing integration strategies, coordination mechanisms, migrant participation, research on diversity, and the funding schemes of inclusive measures. From ‘mainstreaming by accident’ to the rise of grassroots solidarity, the book highlights how local administrators, activists, and residents are bridging service gaps and redefining urban citizenship in contexts marked by crisis and illiberal pressures. Migration Governance in CEE Cities Post-2015 is essential reading for scholars and students across disciplines, as well as for policymakers, urban planners, migration practitioners, and anyone interested in how cities respond to—and shape—evolving migration dynamics in Europe.