Migrants and the politics of governance. The case of Barcelona

Governance is commonly described as the governmental form typical of late-modernity resulting from the collaboration between government and civil society. Governance – we are told – is to be preferred to previous governmental patterns, for not only is it more cost-effective but also participatory and empowering. This article takes such claims at face value and examines them ethnographically to see how they are applied in relation to migrants in the ‘progressive’ city of Barcelona. The article argues that migrants’ participation in governance de facto means participation in token consultative institutions and in policy-implementation by proxy (i.e. through local ‘pro-migrant’ NGOs hired to deliver public services to migrants). It also argues that the empowerment that derives from participating in governance is greater for governmental bodies and for the local non-profit ‘immigration industry’ than it is for migrants.