How Do City Governments Serve Undocumented Migrants?

October 23, 2013

Why Cities Provide Services to Undocumented Migrants (October 16, 2013)

How do cities serve undocumented migrants now, and how can they serve them better? What are the economic and social imperatives that lead city governments to provide access to services, despite the fact that doing so often carries a steep political price? And what lessons do U.S. cities provide for those in Europe—and vice versa?

At a recent event, Open Society Fellow Sarah Spencer and New York City Commissioner for Immigrant Affairs Fatima Shama discussed how cities on two continents provide essential services to irregular migrants, at a time when such arrangements are increasingly under threat.

Listen above.

Topics

European Union, Migration and Asylum

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Our Emergency Response to COVID-19

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To confront the enormous challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Open Society Foundations are committing more than $130 million to support those who are most at risk.

April 16, 2020 | Patrick Gaspard

Stand Up for Migrants

Addressing Migration Challenges in a Globalized World

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Migration isn’t new, but rarely before has it been as politicized as it is today. To reach a more sustainable equilibrium, governments must craft policy that balances migrants’ rights with the needs of local communities.

October 29, 2019 | Magdalena Majkowska-Tomkin

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

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On the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, which remains on the forefront of migration to Europe, the locals are reclaiming their culture of farming and building community—one ancient seed at a time.

August 2, 2019 | Lucy Carrigan

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