In response to the economic crisis in Southern European cities, citizens have turned to political unrest. This article analyzes these responses in terms of the return of ‘reciprocity practices’ parallel to forms of informality more commonly seen in cities of the Global South. Citizen self-organization to cover basic needs can be read as a strategy of resistance similar to that identified as quiet encroachment; but to the extent that it is politicized, it also becomes part of the political struggle for rights. Through the case of Barcelona, this article analyzes how social groups are politicizing their survival practices, using the case of sub-Saharan migrants living in abandoned factories in the city. The article’s aim is to show how in the context of weakening citizenship rights, there is a growth of informal practices that become unevenly politicized among different groups.