Migrants associations have often been considered as alternatives for voice and for defending migrants’ interests in the host societies. However, little is known about the landscape of migrant associations, their activities, goals and mobilizing capacity. The objective of this paper is to analyse the associational universe of immigrant and ethnic minorities in 5 European cities. Drawing on the social movement literature, the main argument of the paper is that the density, activities and mobilizing capacity of migrants’ associations are shaped by the specific political opportunities in the field of immigration and ethnic relations. The hypotheses will be tested using a unique dataset drawn from an organizational survey in Barcelona, Budapest, Madrid, Milan, Vaux-en-Velin and Zurich.
