Transnational networks and the local politics of migrant grassroots organizing in post-colonial Portugal

Globalization, the intensification of international migration flows and the internationalization of modern nation-states have prompted fundamental transformations in traditional notions of citizenship, belonging and political participation. This article examines the impact of national and transnational institutional settings on migrants’ political participatory frameworks by analysing the dynamics of migrants’ grassroots organizing in a squatter settlement in Amadora, Portugal. Empirical investigation of this neighbourhood reveals that transnational and border-crossing forms of organizing have become important factors in shaping current practices of migrant collective mobilization. The study also points out the pervasive role of national membership and clientelism as key factors for accessing a wide range of rights and entitlements. It is further argued that contrary to the proponents of postnational models of citizenship, the nation-state continues to play a determinant role in the politics of inclusion and exclusion of migrant communities in the polity. At a broader level, the article draws on the case study of Amadora, Lisbon, to illustrate how migrant political participation patterns need to be understood in the battleground of local, national and transnational competing forces.