Abstract

Debates about migration issues are spread across various levels of contemporary Belgian society, where a process of policy restriction is in place, as well as federal discourse aimed at discouraging arrivals. This climate affects not only newcomers, but also those who have been residing in the country for years without managing to regularize their residence status. Within this global framework, local initiatives have developed to support migrants and their needs, as well as to propose broader political claims. In this article, I will discuss these issues by analyzing the case study of a group of undocumented migrants that occupied uninhabited buildings in Liège—with the help of a network of mobilized citizens and associations that are active in the territory—in order to launch a claims process for regularization. The local government of the city tolerates and supports the initiatives of the group to a certain extent, thus making Liège a “sanctuary city”, i.e. both a secure space for migrants and a setting for resistance. Such a socio-political space takes shape within a context of multi-level governance targeting migration issues (reception and integration), which is characterized by gaps in policy implementation and subsidiarity. Within this setting, undocumented migrants exert their agency and claim human and civil rights through a series of concrete mobilization actions. The aim of this article is to show how local action affects the process of migration governance in Belgium.

摘要

关于移民问题的辩论遍布当代比利时社会的各个层面，在那里制定了政策限制程序，以及旨在阻止移民的联邦话语。这种气候不仅影响到新移民，也影响到那些在该国居住多年而未能使他们的居留身份正规化的人。在这个全球框架内，地方倡议已经发展到支持移民及其需求，并提出更广泛的政治主张。在本文中，我将通过分析一群无证移民的案例研究来讨论这些问题，这些移民在列日活跃的动员公民和协会网络的帮助下，占据了列日的无人居住的建筑物，以发起一项正规化的索赔程序。该市当地政府在一定程度上容忍和支持该集团的倡议，从而使列日成为“庇护城市”，即既是移民的安全空间，也是抵抗的场所。这种社会政治空间是在针对移民问题（接纳和融合）的多层次治理背景下形成的，其特点是政策实施和辅助方面存在差距。在这种情况下，无证移民通过一系列具体的动员行动来行使他们的能动性并主张人权和公民权利。本文的目的是展示地方行动如何影响比利时的移民治理过程。这种社会政治空间是在针对移民问题（接纳和融合）的多层次治理背景下形成的，其特点是政策实施和辅助方面存在差距。在这种情况下，无证移民通过一系列具体的动员行动来行使他们的能动性并主张人权和公民权利。本文的目的是展示地方行动如何影响比利时的移民治理过程。这种社会政治空间是在针对移民问题（接纳和融合）的多层次治理背景下形成的，其特点是政策实施和辅助方面存在差距。在这种情况下，无证移民通过一系列具体的动员行动来行使他们的能动性并主张人权和公民权利。本文的目的是展示地方行动如何影响比利时的移民治理过程。