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Key research themes
1. How have historical emigration waves from Italy shaped regional economic development and modern immigration patterns?
This theme investigates the economic and demographic impacts of Italy's major historical emigration waves (late 19th to mid-20th century) on both sending regions and the evolution towards being a destination country for immigrants. It examines the characteristics and determinants of emigration, the role of migrant networks, return migration, and the subsequent transition in Italian migration dynamics as Italy became a net immigration country. Understanding these historical migration flows informs contemporary migration scholarship by linking past experiences with current economic and social trends.
Key finding: Using a newly constructed dataset controlling for regional fixed effects, the study found that migrant networks augmented early 20th-century Italian emigration determinants by 30% more than previously estimated, highlighting... Read more
Key finding: The paper reconstructs Italian emigration between 1861 and 1985, highlighting that mass emigration was initially northern-centric before shifting predominantly to the south by the early 20th century. It identifies that... Read more
Key finding: The study provides detailed demographic and occupational characteristics of Italian emigrants in historical periods, noting predominant male, working-age, economically active agricultural laborers as migrants. It explicitly... Read more
2. What are the dynamics and political implications of immigration and politicization of migration in contemporary Italy?
Focusing on Italian immigration since the late 20th century, this theme explores the political discourse, party competition, and policy responses to migration, especially how complex migration issues are framed, politicized, and selectively addressed by political entrepreneurs. It includes analyses of the socio-economic and cultural implications of immigration, internal migration patterns of foreign residents, and the evolving nature of immigration research in Italy’s recent history. The theme also dissects the underlying factors that influence migration governance and public opinion.
Key finding: By conducting a multi-local comparative case study of Prato, Milan, and Rome, the book found that political actors selectively politicize immigration issues based on strategic electoral incentives and the local context’s... Read more
Key finding: Using a gravity model and population register data (2014–2017), this study revealed significant heterogeneity in internal mobility among foreign nationals in Italy: some groups (e.g., Ukrainians) exhibit spatial assimilation... Read more
Key finding: The article traces the evolution of migration scholarship in Italy from the 1980s onward, highlighting Italy’s transformation from an emigration to an immigration country. It identifies conceptual divides and theories used... Read more
3. How do migration experiences intersect with gender, labor market conditions, and migrant exploitation in specific sectors of Italy and abroad?
This theme investigates the gendered dimensions of skilled Italian migration, the structural factors influencing irregular migration in sectors like agriculture, and the socio-cultural role of migrants’ practices and identity construction in diasporic contexts. It addresses the composition and motivations of emigrants, the labor market challenges faced by migrants, and the personal and collective means through which migrants negotiate belonging and difference. This perspective integrates macroeconomic and micro-level analyses of migration shaping both origin and destination societies.
Key finding: The policy brief challenges the common EU narrative that undeclared work in agriculture is a primary ‘pull factor’ for irregular migration, demonstrating instead that the Italian agricultural restructuring since the 1990s,... Read more
Key finding: Through oral history interviews, the study identifies that religious and cultural objects carried by Italian migrants serve as critical symbols for cultural identity maintenance and as bridges between origin and settlement... Read more