XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

359

Migration, Social Rights and Multi-Level Governance in Europe

RC19 Sociology of Poverty, Social Welfare and Social Policy (host committee)

Language: English

‘Poverty migration’, ‘welfare tourism’ and ‘welfare magnets’ have become buzzwords in the highly politicised environment of increased mobility and migration. However, mobile people and migrants often have difficulties in accessing rights and services in a world of welfare characterised by multi-level governance. Multi-level governance provides both challenges and opportunities for migrants and EU migrant citizens accessing social benefits and services. What are the rights of the different groups of migrants and mobile people? Which level of governance is key in determining and providing migrants’ benefits and services? For instance what is the role of NGOs, local, regional or central governments or supra-national institutions in the provision of benefits and services? How do various levels of government, welfare providers and NGOs respond to the increase in mobile and migrant people?

This session seeks to bring together papers that address questions of migration and social rights under conditions of multi-level governance. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

-       gaps in migrants’ social rights and alternative sources of social protection,

-       politics of migrants’ social rights and multi-level governance,

-       responses to migrants’ (lack of) social rights, and impact thereof on traditional welfare institutions and arrangements at the various levels of governance.