Asylum seekers' reception in Italy: reflections at the end of field research

Dr Paolo Novak (SOAS)

We know about boats intercepted at EU's external borders, and migrants' transfers to Italy's hotspots and first identification centres. We know about Italy's intra-european border choke points, places like Ventimiglia or Como where migrants seeking to continue their northbound journeys are stranded. We know far less about what happens in between these two borders to those migrants that are simultaneously caught up and taking advantage of Italy's reception system for asylum seekers.

At the time of writing this abstract, I am concluding 3 months of field research concerned with the study of such system, and in particular with the Centri Accoglienza Straordinaria or Extraordinary Reception Centres where the overwhelming majority of asylum seekers are hosted -about 150thousand. Drawing on visits to over 25 such centres in a central Italian province, and associated interviews, encounters and exchanges, the seminar will a) describe the institutional and everyday dynamics regulating life in these centres b) offer raw reflections on Italy's reception system c) attempt methodological arguments about the study of refugees and asylum.

Dr Paolo Novak Asylum seekers' reception in Italy: reflections at the end of field research

About the speaker

Paolo Novak is Lecturer in Development Studies and co-Chair of the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies.

Organiser: Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies

Contact email: cb92@soas.ac.uk