‘Sans-papiers’, people with an irregular residence status, are part of everyday life of many European cities and yet live on the margins of society. Without an ID card, many social spheres remain closed to them, for example when it comes to looking for a flat or healthcare services. To improve the situation of undocumented migrants, the city of Zurich aims for a new approach: In May 2022, the city's electorate voted by a narrow majority for the concept of a new type of City ID Card. The ‘Züri City Card’, whose introduction is now being prepared for 2026, will allow all people living in the city to easily access municipal services, as well as cultural and leisure activities. Above all, the card is intended to enable sans-papiers to participate to a greater extent, because it does not contain any information about their origin or immigration status. This means that around 10,000 sans-papiers estimated to be living in Zurich will be able to identify themselves to city authorities and other institutions which recognise the City Card. If the ‘Züri City Card’ can be implemented successfully, it is quite conceivable that other municipalities will follow Zurich's example. There are similar municipal and civil society initiatives for comparable concepts in numerous European cities. The overarching idea is that of a ‘solidarity city’ in which sans-papiers no longer have to fear being marginalised and found out.
European Areas of Solidarity (EASY)
Zürichs Bürgermeisterin Corine Mauch warb für die Einführung der "Züri City Card"The aim of the research project is to analyse these ideas and strategies using the example of Zurich with inclusion theory and postmigrant approaches. The project team has chosen a multi-perspective approach that includes the views of sans-papiers as well as those of municipal employees, social workers and others involved in the implementation of solidarity city schemes. In direct contact with sans-papiers, mediated by the ‘Züri City Card Association’ and the ‘Sans-Papiers Anlaufstelle Zürich’, the researchers want to find out under what conditions people without regular residence status live in the city and what expectations and wishes they have regarding the planned city card. In order to obtain these perspectives, techniques from ethnography and participatory action research are applied, in which the participants depict their everyday world using the method of community mapping and document it by taking photos. It is ensured that no risks arise for the participants from their participation in the project and that their anonymity is preserved.
Straßenszene am Bucheggplatz, ZürichThe second focus of the project is on interviews with experts who are working on concepts of a ‘Solidarity City’ in Zurich as well as in other German-speaking towns and cities. The interviews form the basis for analysing the underlying ideas of inclusion and urban society, but also the practical and legal hurdles that arise during implementation. In workshops, both perspectives - that of practitioners as well as that of sans-papiers - will be brought into dialogue with each other. At the end of the research project, an open access brochure will be published, which is intended to show ways of dealing with refugees and undocumented immigration in a spirit of solidarity at city level and is aimed at stakeholders from politics and civil society. In addition, the results will contribute to two dissertation projects being by the project team members Songül Can and Johanna Hofmann.
Heads of Project
Prof. Dr Caroline Schmitt
Prof. Dr Marc Hill
Institutions
Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
University of Innsbruck
Support
The Gerda Henkel Foundation supports the project as part of its Special programme 'Forced migration' by granting two doctoral scholarships and covering personnel, travel and material costs.
This project was documented in spring 2024.