The context
Today international migration is definitively an urban phenomenon. Since cities, not only in developed but also in developing countries, concentrate nearly all the existing modern societal functions - such as trade, investment, social services supply, know-how exchange, communications - they provide the best chances for finding income opportunities and for accessing education, health care, housing and infrastructures. Hence it is not surprising that the great majority of international migrants choose urban areas as their preferred target destination, and this trend is not expected to tail off any time soon, but will likely continue well into the future in both developed and developing countries. Moreover, the networks that support international migration are largely located in cities, where relatives and fellow countrymen have already settled and represent an essential reference point for the newcomers. In the context of globalization, cities have produced a new demand for low-paid service workers for different types of jobs and, particularly in developing countries, it is in the city that migrants can access the large and expanding informal sector. The majority of migrants, both legal and undocumented, are employed in low-paid jobs, raising the number of low-income urban population. Therefore, migrants’ contribution to urban economy is not recognized and analyzed as a nodal point.
On the other hand, the ‘invisibility’ of these urban residents makes it very difficult for even well-intentioned local authorities to identify and quantify the target population needing assistance and support in accessing urban facilities and citizenship rights.
Cities are facing a special challenge and a specific responsibility: creating an inclusive urban identity, where minorities’ interests are taken into consideration when planning any action directed at the society as a whole. Up to now, the lack of effective urban policies promoting social and spatial integration of international migrants has certainly fuelled the already large number of marginalized residents in the cities of both developed and developing countries.
