Research Handbook on the Sociology of Migration, 2024
Inclusion and exclusion describe the conditions that allow (or do not allow) individuals to take ... more Inclusion and exclusion describe the conditions that allow (or do not allow) individuals to take part in social activities, to access social spaces and resources, and to experience a sense of belonging to a social group. Inclusion and exclusion are especially relevant for migrants, who move across geography with the aim of accessing the opportunities sealed by the borders of states. The understanding of this process, both conceptually and as a concrete social phenomenon, has varied significantly in relation to more general interpretations of society and its functioning. The chapter critically reviews the evolution of research in this field, with a focus on the latest developments. A key finding is the ongoing shift from an understanding of inclusion and exclusion as absolute, on/off conditions determined by states, to an understating of these as partial, sometimes contradictory, conditions determined by the interplay of individuals with society at large.
Sovint, en els països del sud d’Europa, la regularització d’immigrants irregulars s’ha emprat com... more Sovint, en els països del sud d’Europa, la regularització d’immigrants irregulars s’ha emprat com a política migratòria de control aplicada a posteriori. Molts investigadors ho critiquen per la incapacitat que manifesta de parar la reproducció de sistemes de migració irregular. Malgrat tot, el debat sobre l’efectivitat d’aquests programes segueix demostrant l’existència d’una contradicció fonamental entre aquestes crítiques i la manca d’evidències empíriques a favor o en contra dels processos de regularització. L’objectiu principal d’aquest article és analitzar els efectes de les regularitzacions a Itàlia i a Espanya, els països europeus on és immigrants s’han vist beneficiats per aquestes regularitzacions. La finalitat de l’article és avaluar l’eficàcia d’aquestes polítiques, però també plantejar quin futur té aquest tipus de mesures en els règims migratoris mediterranis.Con frecuencia, la regularización de inmigrantes irregulares ha sido usada en los países del sur de Europa como ...
Clandestine migration, particularly along the Southern sea borders, dominates the debate on migra... more Clandestine migration, particularly along the Southern sea borders, dominates the debate on migration control in Europe. On the contrary, even if most irregular migrants are visa over-stayers, remarkably little is known about the management of the EU visa supply. This paper analyzes the role played by visa policy in the European immigration control system. It shows that visa policy has never been exclusively a tool of irregular migration prevention and that the overall trend of short-term visa supply highlights an asymmetric visa regime, increasingly open to Eastern European countries while remarkably rigid across the Mediterranean.
In Southern European countries, the regularisations of irregular migrants have very fre-quently b... more In Southern European countries, the regularisations of irregular migrants have very fre-quently been used as ex post control policy measures. They have often been blamed by a large number of scholars for their incapacity to stop the reproduction of irregular migration systems. Nevertheless, the debate on the effectiveness of regularisation programmes still demonstrates a substantial contradiction between the criticism of regularisations and the lack of empirical evidence in favour of or against the execution of such processes. The aim of the present article is to analyze the effects of regularisations in Italy and Spain as the two countries that have regularised the largest number of migrants in Europe. The final goal of the article is not only to assess the efficiency of regularisations but also to discuss the future of such measures in the Mediterranean migration regimes. Key words: irregular migration; regularisation processes; informal economy; Spain; Italy. Resum. La regularitz...
ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during eco... more ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during economic downturn by analysing to what extent citizenship regimes may offer opportunities for instrumental uses of naturalisation in times of economic crisis. Its main goal is to provide a more nuanced view of citizenship acquisition, its implications and its alleged instrumental uses to stabilise legal status and improve mobility chances. For this purpose, our analysis focuses on the nexus between citizenship regimes and naturalisations trends in Italy and Spain as two major Southern European immigration countries that have similar migration histories, but rather different citizenship regimes. The first part of the article provides an overview of the scholarly debate on the concept of instrumental citizenship and elaborates a typology of the possible instrumental uses by states and migrants. The second part examines the citizenship regimes and analyses the opportunity structures opened up by citizenship acquisition channels in Italy and Spain. Finally, the article analyses naturalisation trends to show that instrumental uses of citizenship acquisition are closely connected to the different opportunity structures offered by the Italian and Spanish citizenship regimes.
Böcker/de Hart u.a.: Introduction Sciortino: Between Phantoms and Necessary Evils Cyrus/Düvell u.... more Böcker/de Hart u.a.: Introduction Sciortino: Between Phantoms and Necessary Evils Cyrus/Düvell u.a.: Illegale Zuwanderung in GB und D Pluymen: Exclusion from Social Benefits as an Instrument ... Finotelli: A Comparative Analysis of the Italian and German Asylum Policies Barnidge/Bem: Politics and Protection in American Refugee Law Walter: The New EC Directive on the Right to Family Unification v. Walsum: The Dynamics of Emancipation and Exclusion Kolb: Covert Doors: German Immigration Policy between ... de Lange: Tripartite Agreements on Labour Migration de Hart: Political Debates on Dual Nationality in the Netherlands Michalowski: Integration Programmes for Newcomers - a Dutch model for Europe" de Heer: The Concept of Integration in Converging Dutch ..
Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2015
Abstract This article compares three immigration countries that are perceived, both publicly and ... more Abstract This article compares three immigration countries that are perceived, both publicly and politically, as being fundamentally different: Canada, which is allegedly one of the most attractive destination countries for labour migrants worldwide; Germany, which is still thought to be sceptical towards immigration; and finally Spain, which is considered institutionally incapable of implementing efficient labour migration policies. Against the backdrop of various political reforms that have been adopted in these countries, however, the article argues that such a distinction is becoming increasingly inaccurate. This observation is backed empirically by analysing the technique of screening labour migrants and the temporal design of labour migration policy.
Integration models are often viewed as a necessary tool for framing integration policies, and for... more Integration models are often viewed as a necessary tool for framing integration policies, and for measuring integration efficiency. Aside from these applications, however, there is still a striking lack of empirical work exploring the impact these models have on specific integration outcomes in given countries. The objective of this article is to evaluate the role national contexts play in observed variations on the 'model dimesion', using on two empirical indicators: labour market participation and educational performance. By using a multilevel approach and high quality comparable data (European labour Force Survey and the Program for International Student Assessment), this paper compares outcomes in a number of immigration countries and seeks to rank them according to their overall approach to integration. In doing so, this paper proposes the relevance of relating integration outcomes to specific institutions in the labour market and educational system.
Southern Europe has been severely hit by the current economic crisis with negative consequences i... more Southern Europe has been severely hit by the current economic crisis with negative consequences in many areas. In this article the authors try to understand whether migrant integration has also been negatively affected and, if so, to what extent by analysing empirical data. Integration is, in fact, a complex matter, including several aspects which are connected but not automatically related, and thus are potentially different in their reactions to the economic crisis. First breaking down the concept of integration, the authors then compare Italy, Spain, and Portugal, paying special attention to the labour market, migrants’ legal status, and public perceptions about immigration and immigrants. Finally the integration aspects which are more resilient and more sensitive to the crisis are noted, and possible implications for integration patterns of migrants to southern European are pointed out.
La llegada de extranjeros irregulares a España e Italia sigue despertando el interés mediático y ... more La llegada de extranjeros irregulares a España e Italia sigue despertando el interés mediático y propicia la percepción de que existe un problema de control migratorio en los países mediterráneos. Sin embargo, se argumenta aquí que los regímenes migratorios mediterráneos presentan un balance positivo que contrasta con la situación de precariedad que a menudo se les atribuye. El análisis se centra en dos aspectos fundamentales de los modelos migratorios mediterráneos: los sistemas de control fronterizos y la realización de regularizaciones periódicas, cuya comparación no responde sólo a la búsqueda de similitudes y diferencias entre Italia y España sino que quiere aclarar el papel jugado por estos dos países en la gestión de los flujos "indeseados" hacia Europa desde el comienzo de los años 90 hasta ahora.
Research Handbook on the Sociology of Migration, 2024
Inclusion and exclusion describe the conditions that allow (or do not allow) individuals to take ... more Inclusion and exclusion describe the conditions that allow (or do not allow) individuals to take part in social activities, to access social spaces and resources, and to experience a sense of belonging to a social group. Inclusion and exclusion are especially relevant for migrants, who move across geography with the aim of accessing the opportunities sealed by the borders of states. The understanding of this process, both conceptually and as a concrete social phenomenon, has varied significantly in relation to more general interpretations of society and its functioning. The chapter critically reviews the evolution of research in this field, with a focus on the latest developments. A key finding is the ongoing shift from an understanding of inclusion and exclusion as absolute, on/off conditions determined by states, to an understating of these as partial, sometimes contradictory, conditions determined by the interplay of individuals with society at large.
Sovint, en els països del sud d’Europa, la regularització d’immigrants irregulars s’ha emprat com... more Sovint, en els països del sud d’Europa, la regularització d’immigrants irregulars s’ha emprat com a política migratòria de control aplicada a posteriori. Molts investigadors ho critiquen per la incapacitat que manifesta de parar la reproducció de sistemes de migració irregular. Malgrat tot, el debat sobre l’efectivitat d’aquests programes segueix demostrant l’existència d’una contradicció fonamental entre aquestes crítiques i la manca d’evidències empíriques a favor o en contra dels processos de regularització. L’objectiu principal d’aquest article és analitzar els efectes de les regularitzacions a Itàlia i a Espanya, els països europeus on és immigrants s’han vist beneficiats per aquestes regularitzacions. La finalitat de l’article és avaluar l’eficàcia d’aquestes polítiques, però també plantejar quin futur té aquest tipus de mesures en els règims migratoris mediterranis.Con frecuencia, la regularización de inmigrantes irregulares ha sido usada en los países del sur de Europa como ...
Clandestine migration, particularly along the Southern sea borders, dominates the debate on migra... more Clandestine migration, particularly along the Southern sea borders, dominates the debate on migration control in Europe. On the contrary, even if most irregular migrants are visa over-stayers, remarkably little is known about the management of the EU visa supply. This paper analyzes the role played by visa policy in the European immigration control system. It shows that visa policy has never been exclusively a tool of irregular migration prevention and that the overall trend of short-term visa supply highlights an asymmetric visa regime, increasingly open to Eastern European countries while remarkably rigid across the Mediterranean.
In Southern European countries, the regularisations of irregular migrants have very fre-quently b... more In Southern European countries, the regularisations of irregular migrants have very fre-quently been used as ex post control policy measures. They have often been blamed by a large number of scholars for their incapacity to stop the reproduction of irregular migration systems. Nevertheless, the debate on the effectiveness of regularisation programmes still demonstrates a substantial contradiction between the criticism of regularisations and the lack of empirical evidence in favour of or against the execution of such processes. The aim of the present article is to analyze the effects of regularisations in Italy and Spain as the two countries that have regularised the largest number of migrants in Europe. The final goal of the article is not only to assess the efficiency of regularisations but also to discuss the future of such measures in the Mediterranean migration regimes. Key words: irregular migration; regularisation processes; informal economy; Spain; Italy. Resum. La regularitz...
ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during eco... more ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during economic downturn by analysing to what extent citizenship regimes may offer opportunities for instrumental uses of naturalisation in times of economic crisis. Its main goal is to provide a more nuanced view of citizenship acquisition, its implications and its alleged instrumental uses to stabilise legal status and improve mobility chances. For this purpose, our analysis focuses on the nexus between citizenship regimes and naturalisations trends in Italy and Spain as two major Southern European immigration countries that have similar migration histories, but rather different citizenship regimes. The first part of the article provides an overview of the scholarly debate on the concept of instrumental citizenship and elaborates a typology of the possible instrumental uses by states and migrants. The second part examines the citizenship regimes and analyses the opportunity structures opened up by citizenship acquisition channels in Italy and Spain. Finally, the article analyses naturalisation trends to show that instrumental uses of citizenship acquisition are closely connected to the different opportunity structures offered by the Italian and Spanish citizenship regimes.
Böcker/de Hart u.a.: Introduction Sciortino: Between Phantoms and Necessary Evils Cyrus/Düvell u.... more Böcker/de Hart u.a.: Introduction Sciortino: Between Phantoms and Necessary Evils Cyrus/Düvell u.a.: Illegale Zuwanderung in GB und D Pluymen: Exclusion from Social Benefits as an Instrument ... Finotelli: A Comparative Analysis of the Italian and German Asylum Policies Barnidge/Bem: Politics and Protection in American Refugee Law Walter: The New EC Directive on the Right to Family Unification v. Walsum: The Dynamics of Emancipation and Exclusion Kolb: Covert Doors: German Immigration Policy between ... de Lange: Tripartite Agreements on Labour Migration de Hart: Political Debates on Dual Nationality in the Netherlands Michalowski: Integration Programmes for Newcomers - a Dutch model for Europe" de Heer: The Concept of Integration in Converging Dutch ..
Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2015
Abstract This article compares three immigration countries that are perceived, both publicly and ... more Abstract This article compares three immigration countries that are perceived, both publicly and politically, as being fundamentally different: Canada, which is allegedly one of the most attractive destination countries for labour migrants worldwide; Germany, which is still thought to be sceptical towards immigration; and finally Spain, which is considered institutionally incapable of implementing efficient labour migration policies. Against the backdrop of various political reforms that have been adopted in these countries, however, the article argues that such a distinction is becoming increasingly inaccurate. This observation is backed empirically by analysing the technique of screening labour migrants and the temporal design of labour migration policy.
Integration models are often viewed as a necessary tool for framing integration policies, and for... more Integration models are often viewed as a necessary tool for framing integration policies, and for measuring integration efficiency. Aside from these applications, however, there is still a striking lack of empirical work exploring the impact these models have on specific integration outcomes in given countries. The objective of this article is to evaluate the role national contexts play in observed variations on the 'model dimesion', using on two empirical indicators: labour market participation and educational performance. By using a multilevel approach and high quality comparable data (European labour Force Survey and the Program for International Student Assessment), this paper compares outcomes in a number of immigration countries and seeks to rank them according to their overall approach to integration. In doing so, this paper proposes the relevance of relating integration outcomes to specific institutions in the labour market and educational system.
Southern Europe has been severely hit by the current economic crisis with negative consequences i... more Southern Europe has been severely hit by the current economic crisis with negative consequences in many areas. In this article the authors try to understand whether migrant integration has also been negatively affected and, if so, to what extent by analysing empirical data. Integration is, in fact, a complex matter, including several aspects which are connected but not automatically related, and thus are potentially different in their reactions to the economic crisis. First breaking down the concept of integration, the authors then compare Italy, Spain, and Portugal, paying special attention to the labour market, migrants’ legal status, and public perceptions about immigration and immigrants. Finally the integration aspects which are more resilient and more sensitive to the crisis are noted, and possible implications for integration patterns of migrants to southern European are pointed out.
La llegada de extranjeros irregulares a España e Italia sigue despertando el interés mediático y ... more La llegada de extranjeros irregulares a España e Italia sigue despertando el interés mediático y propicia la percepción de que existe un problema de control migratorio en los países mediterráneos. Sin embargo, se argumenta aquí que los regímenes migratorios mediterráneos presentan un balance positivo que contrasta con la situación de precariedad que a menudo se les atribuye. El análisis se centra en dos aspectos fundamentales de los modelos migratorios mediterráneos: los sistemas de control fronterizos y la realización de regularizaciones periódicas, cuya comparación no responde sólo a la búsqueda de similitudes y diferencias entre Italia y España sino que quiere aclarar el papel jugado por estos dos países en la gestión de los flujos "indeseados" hacia Europa desde el comienzo de los años 90 hasta ahora.
The Spanish citizenship regime is considered to be one of the most restrictive in Europe. In this... more The Spanish citizenship regime is considered to be one of the most restrictive in Europe. In this paper, we argue that our understanding of Spanish legislation with respect to citizenship and its functioning requires a more nuanced approach. To this end, we focus on the exceptional rules that elude the usual naturalization requirements and allow fast-track naturalization for privileged nationals. Our primary goal is not simply to reconceptualise the Spanish citizenship regime but also to show how heritage-based rules, combined with intense migration flows, have prompted selection mechanisms that contradict the de-ethnicisation process allegedly underway in liberal states.
The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during economic dow... more The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate on integration during economic downturn by analysing to what extent citizenship regimes may offer opportunities for instrumental uses of naturalisation in times of economic crisis. Its main goal is to provide a more nuanced view of citizenship acquisition, its implications and its alleged instrumental uses to stabilise legal status and improve mobility chances. For this purpose, our analysis focuses on the nexus between citizenship regimes and naturalisations trends in Italy and Spain as two major Southern European immigration countries that have similar migration histories, but rather different citizenship regimes. The first part of the article provides an overview of the scholarly debate on the concept of instrumental citizenship and elaborates a typology of the possible instrumental uses by states and migrants. The second part examines the citizenship regimes and analyses the opportunity structures opened up by citizenship acquisition channels in Italy and Spain. Finally, the article analyses naturalisation trends to show that instrumental uses of citizenship acquisition are closely connected to the different opportunity structures offered by the Italian and Spanish citizenship regimes.
Visa policy is one of the most successful harmonized EU policy field. This report shows that Euro... more Visa policy is one of the most successful harmonized EU policy field. This report shows that European legislation regulates for which countries nationals, for how long, and for which reasons MSs can issue a short-stay visa. Besides this general framework, the analysis of national legislation shows that MSs retain certain capacity to shape visa policy beyond the existing European harmonized framework. The margin of appreciation granted allows establishing different national pattern of entry refusal that need to be analyzed in detail through an inventory of visa legislation in the selected country. The inventory shows that, although EU has succeeded in harmonizing a relevant immigration policy field such as short-stay visa, discretionary implementation and procedures at the state level cannot be neglected. This report finally points out that the challenge of overstaying mainly remains a question of weak internal controls, rather than of efficient entry controls.
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