Curtain up

Curtain up explores city diplomacy in global migration governance. The author lays out the paradox that cities, although increasingly de facto migration actors in an urbanizing world, lack channels to influence international policies that directly impact local realities. Drawing on ten case studies from around the world, the author shows that local governments strive to overcome this paradox through global-level interaction with national and international actors contributing to the emergence of a role of cities in global migration governance. Cities draw on this role to influence migration narratives, place local issues on global agendas and demand a seat at decision-making tables. Advancing the analysis of cities as global-level actors, the author introduces role theory to migration studies and presents a series of timely policy recommendations. These set out concrete steps towards a stronger institutionalization of city diplomacy in global migration governance.