City networks involved in migration issues have mushroomed around the world over the last decade. Some gather a few cities from a local or a national area, others deploy at continental or even a global scales. Some have a militant agenda challenging migration policies, others are initiated by national and international organisations. Despite this diversity, international organisations attempt to co-opt city networks to build up a migration governance system that would rely on non state actors.

Thomas Lacroix is CNRS research fellow in geography, former Migation deputy director (França). He is currently associate editor of Migrinter Studies and research associate at COMPAS, CERI and Migrinter. He is fellow at the Institut Convergence Migrations.