Immigration Discourse in Cities: Examining the Effects of Local Immigration Partnerships in Richmond and Surrey

Abstract

As government services have been downloaded to the local level, cities have become increasing important to our understanding of immigration policy, with cooperation between municipal governments, civil society groups, and the business community developing to address the challenges associated with immigrant settlement and integration. Despite this, upper levels of government still play a role in the immigration process, and are viewed as being able to shape narratives and discourse around immigration. With the federal government expanding the Local Immigration Partnership program, which provides funding to cities to develop and expand immigration governance networks, this raises the question as to what extent the federal government is able to influence local discourse. By comparing two cities, Richmond and Surrey, this thesis will explore the relationships that exist between local governance networks and upper levels of government, highlighting the privileged role of cities in the development of local immigration discourse.