Date of Award
Spring 5-18-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Advisor(s)
Silvana Patriarca
Second Advisor
Christopher Toulouse, Ph.D.
Abstract
Italy’s geographical location in the Southern Mediterranean has long made it a popular European entry point for migrants arriving from Africa. During the 2010s, the issue of migration was catapulted into the center of Italian politics as hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived each year. Successive Italian governments enacted countless measures to securitize and externalize Italy’s borders, from cooperating with non-state actors in Libya to criminalizing NGO ships providing aid to migrants at sea. However, while some policies have been successful in limiting the flow of migrants, Italy has proven incapable of cutting the flow off completely, and today, the number of arrivals is reaching a total as high as ever. While the policies towards migration enacted by Italy’s different political actors may seem similar, examining the rhetoric of opposing political parties and their leaders exposes the various ways in which political actors justify restrictive policies. These justifications are becoming more crucial than ever before as Italy juggles competing forces of ethno-nationalism, demographic and economic stagnation, and increasing migrant arrivals.
Recommended Citation
Mooney, Tyler, "The Politics of an Impossible Situation: Italian Parties Muddling Through the Migrant Crisis" (2024). Senior Theses. 150.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/international_senior/150
