Between Policy and Peril

How Italy Fails Its Refugees

Abstract

This project investigates whether Italian migration policies from the past 10 years perpetuate violence in refugee reception facilities. While there is no research looking at the relationship between migration policies and violence in reception facilities, previous researchers have examined the political tension within the European Union (EU) regarding migration policy, and the relationship between national sovereignty and supranational governance. The multidimensional nature of the social suffering theory is used to help explain the causes of suffering happening in the reception facilities in Italy. This research will collect primary data from two interviews, and the secondary data from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports, Asylum Information Database (AID) reports, and Italian laws decrees and migration policies. Furthermore, a thematic analysis of the interviews and articles will evaluate trends between migration policies and violence in refugee reception facilities. The results from this research found that Italian migration policies and the Italian government perpetuate violence and unnecessary suffering for asylum seekers in reception facilities. Constant policy revisions produce a systematic form of violence for asylum seekers, while the Italian government violates basic human rights by not providing basic services in both levels of reception facilities. Bringing to light the issues in the reception facilities and the challenges for asylum seekers helps bring awareness to what is happening in these facilities, while pushing for policy reform to improve the reception facilities' conditions to ensure future refugees do not have to endure the same violence and suffering.