Often perceived as a threat to employment, public order and safety, immigration is still a high priority on the political agenda of the European Union Members States. However, even because conceived as a concession, little is said about the quality of reception for asylum seekers, and the respect for their rights. This work focuses specifically on the reception systems of two cities, Marseille, and Naples, and how civil society, tired of silently observing the harassment suffered by migrants, organised in order to support migrants’ struggles, asking for a decent service of reception and integration. Based on semi-structured interviews with local social movements, associations and different members of civil society, this work aims to shed light on acts of solidarity that take place daily in our cities, contrasting the selective migration policy and the increasingly privatised service of reception promoted by national public authorities.