The Policy of Refugee Reception and the Policing of Public Space in Paris
November 10th, 2025
The essay “The Policy of Refugee Reception and the Policing of Public Space in Paris” by Marco Cremaschi and Tommaso Vitale forms the third chapter of the volume “City Makers and the Politics of Urban Diversity Governance: Comparative Approaches from Europe and Asia”, edited by Marie Gibert-Flutre, Kong Chong Ho, Jérémie Molho, Camille Schmoll, and Hélène Thiollet. The study examines the policies of reception and integration of asylum seekers in Paris, offering an extensive reflection on the governance and control of urban public spaces. The authors emphasize that these processes depend not only on police surveillance but also on the strategic use of urban design and architecture as instruments for regulating social practices - such as through the introduction of architectural barriers or other spatial devices of exclusion.
The study highlights that the management of refugee reception relies on a multilevel approach, involving not only national policies and directives but also local governments and non-governmental organizations. The analysis highlights the pivotal role played by non-state actors in both reception policies and management of urban public spaces. The authors stress the need for plural and interdisciplinary engagement among actors from diverse fields of expertise, as an essential condition for an effective and inclusive governance of reception processes.
The link to read and download the chapter is available here.