Local Policies and Inclusion Pathways for Refugees/ Asylum Seekers

This research, initiated from June 2022 and concluded in October 2023, has as its initial hypothesis the question of what factors facilitate and what factors hinder the inclusion of refugees/asylum seekers? The goal of this paper is therefore to understand what role, specific local contexts, can play in governance processes, social relations, and consequently in the integration experiences of refugees/asylum seekers. The purpose of the paper is to identify in the analyzed localities in Sicily which factors are most relevant in inclusion processes, and in local community interactions. The paper proposes a comparative analysis of three different contexts and organizational modes of reception/inclusion for refugees/asylum seekers. Through interviews, focus groups and participant observation, the analysis of the micro-contexts we revealed that: a) the role of local governments is rather limited, b) while private actors (local employers, property owners, real estate agents, etc.) and third sector organizations (especially NGOs and migrant associations) are given a very crucial role. In conclusion, Messina have highlighted some peculiarities of a territory deeply connected to its tradition of hospitality. The increasing social complexity has led to profound transformations in the approach to welfare, and networking has become a new mode of service management characterized by interinstitutional and intersectoral collaborations, which need to be supported and implemented.