Migrants with precarious legal statuses experience significant structural exclusion from their host nations but may still feel partial belonging. This article explores two dimensions potentially relevant for this group’s sense of belonging: city-level opportunity structures and public political discourses. Specifically, we examine perceptions of belonging among forced migrants with similarly precarious legal statuses located in Istanbul and Vienna. Drawing from semi-structured interviews, we argue that opportunity structures in the cities provide a minimal sense of social normalness within a period of life otherwise considered anomalous or exceptional. Any articulations of belonging in this context however remain inherently tied to the conditions of legal limbo at the national level. With regard to public political discourses, migrants display a strong awareness of the role of religion within national debates on culture and integration. In a context where religion is discussed as a mediator of belonging, we found explicit affirmations of such discourses, whereas in a context where religion is discussed as a marker of difference, we found implicit compliance, despite feelings of alienation. Overall, this article shows the importance of differentiating belonging, and of cross-regional comparisons for highlighting the diverse roles of cities and public political discourses in facilitating integration.

中文翻译：

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超越法律地位：探究伊斯坦布尔和维也纳被迫移民中的财产归属

具有不稳定法律地位的移民在结构上被排斥在其所在国之外，但仍可能会感到部分归属。本文探讨了与该群体的归属感潜在相关的两个方面：城市层面的机会结构和公共政治话语。具体而言，我们研究了在伊斯坦布尔和维也纳具有类似不稳定法律地位的强迫移民中的归属感。从半结构化访谈中得出的结论是，城市中的机会结构在一定时期内提供了最小的社会正常感，否则该时期被认为是异常或例外的。但是，在这种情况下，所有归属的表达都固有地与国家层面法律地位的条件联系在一起。关于公共政治话语，移民在有关文化和融合的国家辩论中表现出对宗教作用的强烈认识。在讨论宗教作为归属的调解人的情况下，我们发现了对此类话语的明确肯定，而在讨论宗教作为差异的标志的情况下，尽管有疏远的感觉，我们还是隐含了依从性。总体而言，本文显示了区分归属和进行跨区域比较的重要性，以突出城市和公共政治话语在促进融合中的各种作用。在讨论宗教是差异的标志的情况下，尽管有疏远的感觉，但我们发现默契。总体而言，本文显示了区分归属感和进行跨区域比较的重要性，以突出城市和公共政治话语在促进融合中的各种作用。在讨论宗教是差异的标志的情况下，尽管有疏远的感觉，但我们发现默契。总体而言，本文显示了区分归属和进行跨区域比较的重要性，以突出城市和公共政治话语在促进融合中的各种作用。