Collaborative networks for migrant support: a case study on the role of civil society organisations in marginalised urban contexts

Migration has long been a defining feature of European history; however, in recent decades it has increasingly been framed as a social and political crisis. This framing is particularly salient in urban contexts where public institutions are underprepared to provide adequate reception and integration services. In response to these gaps, civil society organizations (CSOs) have emerged as key actors in sustaining local public service ecosystems and supporting migrants through collaborative, placebased arrangements.This article examines the role of CSOs in facilitating inter-organizational cooperation in the San Siro neighbourhood of Milan, Italy, a marginalized urban area characterized by socio-economic vulnerability and limited access to public services. Drawing on social network analysis and thematic analysis, the study investigates how CSOs coordinate with third-sector organizations and streetlevel bureaucracies, the criteria guiding partner selection, and the mechanisms of trust, reciprocity, and informal coordination that underpin network functioning.The findings show that CSOs occupy central brokerage positions within local networks, enabling the circulation of information, resources, and referrals across organizational boundaries. These collaborative arrangements support bottom-up, network-based governance models that foster social innovation, enhance service accessibility, and partially mitigate the effects of structural marginalization. At the same time, the analysis reveals important constraints, including resource dependency, uneven power relations, and the fragility of trust-based cooperation in the absence of stable institutional support