Guest Article: "When Cities and Civil Society Join Forces" By Joshua J. Kurz

As the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum enters application in 2026, a network of 36 European cities and several civil society partners is making the case for a radically different approach — one built on solidarity, municipal agency, and local inclusion.

In 2026, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum becomes operational across the European Union. With mandatory border screening procedures, accelerated asylum processing, and a solidarity mechanism that allows member states to pay their way out of relocating refugees, the Pact cements what critics call a security-first approach to migration governance. For many solidarity cities across Europe, the message is clear: national and EU-level politics have moved further away from their vision of welcoming communities. Against this backdrop, a transnational network continues to argue that cities and civil society should have a stronger say in how migration is governed in Europe. The International Alliance of Safe Harbours (IASH) brings together a growing number of municipalities from various European countries in a unique partnership with the From the Sea to the City (FS2C) civil society consortium. Together, they represent one of the most distinctive experiments in European migration governance: a deliberate fusion of municipal politics and grassroots activism.

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