MOBI (Mobility, Borders and Inclusion)

MOBI - Mobility, Borders and Inclusion

Keywords: Mobility, immobility, migration, transnationalism, borders, temporality and memory, migration and reception policies.

The MOBI (MObility, Borders and Inclusion) project aims to advance knowledge on contemporary migration in Italy and other international contexts through a transnational perspective. The core of the research activity consists of qualitative studies designed to explore, in both their local and global dimensions, the relationships between mobility, immobility, and borders, understood not only as geographical lines but also as spaces of interaction and processes of bordering.

The main objective of the project is to develop a deeper understanding of migration and its transformations over time by adopting a diachronic perspective and an interdisciplinary approach that brings ethno-anthropological disciplines into dialogue with contributions from demographic, geographical, sociological, and economic studies. Particular attention is devoted to the study of interactions among migrants, institutions, and territories, with a focus on the role of local authorities, third-sector organizations, and other actors involved in migration governance.

Within this research framework, special emphasis is placed on strengthening international scientific networks and fostering collaborations with scholars and institutions in migrants’ countries of origin.

At present, the following research activities fall within this framework:

Qualitative Study of African Migration

A qualitative study of African migration through a multi-sited approach, with particular focus on the Senegalese migration in selected areas of origin (Dakar, Thiès, and the Petite Côte) and in Italy. The ethnographic research on the phenomenon of “boat migration” to the Canary Islands and on the role of cities in internal and international mobility processes is developed along a series of interconnected analytical axes:
- cultures of migration and the reconstruction of (im)mobility trajectories;
- motivations, aspirations, and migration imaginaries at both individual and collective levels;
- the nexus between migration, development, and associationism;
- interactions between tourism practices and migration dynamics;
- processes of identity construction and transnational forms of belonging, with attention to gender dimensions, intergenerational ties, as well as family and collective forms of organization.

A Multiscalar Study of (Im)mobility and Urban Dwelling

This research examines processes of (im)mobility and settlement practices among migrant communities in Italy from a multiscalar socio-anthropological perspective, situated within transnational social fields. Within this framework, migrant practices, identities, and strategies are understood as the outcome of the interaction between individual factors, community dynamics, and political and economic structures operating simultaneously at local, national, and global scales.

Drawing on ethnographic research methods, the study explores the connections between the different geographical and social dimensions of migratory trajectories, with particular attention to the multiple motivations and practices of dwelling and place-making in urban contexts. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews, the research investigates a range of themes, including:
- the relationship between transnational ties and mobility in urban settings;
- the infrastructures of (im)mobility;
- the role of family, affective, and ethnic networks in neighbourhood solidarity and collective support mechanisms;
- the forms and practices of dwelling;
- the intergenerational dimension of professional trajectories and residential choices.

By integrating insights from sociodemographic studies with ethnographic analysis, this research seeks to develop a holistic understanding of the dynamics of mobility and settlement, as well as the challenges shaping the inclusion of migrants and their families in contemporary urban contexts.

Historical-Ethnographic Study of the Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Italy

A historical-ethnographic and comparative study of the reception system for asylum seekers and refugees in northeastern Italy, with particular attention to the Italo-Austrian and Italo-Slovenian border areas, understood both as physical spaces and as social spheres. Through qualitative methodologies and archival research activities—including oral testimonies, newspaper articles, and photographic documentation—the study analyses reception policies and practices related to recent migratory movements along the so-called “Balkan Route” and the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

The research investigates the interplay between (im)mobility processes and practices of inclusion, exclusion, and differentiation in border contexts from a historical and comparative perspective. Particular attention is devoted to:
- the temporal stratification of (im)mobility processes;
- memory-making processes and the incorporation of migration into the local social fabric;
- the relationship between human (im)mobility and bordering processes.
These dynamics are examined from the point of view of migrants, policymakers, third-sector practitioners, and local populations, with the aim of understanding how borders are produced, negotiated, and transformed in everyday life.

The main originality of the project lies in the development of new analytical perspectives and the promotion of interdisciplinary integration in migration studies through the adoption of a processual and long-term perspective on mobility and immobility phenomena.

This approach seeks to foster the production of scientific knowledge capable of contributing to the advancement of both academic and public debates concerning the development of informed and inclusive migration policies. By analysing the motivations, practices, and everyday experiences of individuals involved in migration trajectories, as well as the social, economic, emotional, and imaginary networks connecting places of departure, transit, and destination, the project aims at capturing the complexity of human mobility processes and to highlight their continuities, transformations, and multiple interconnections.

Publications

DEGLI UBERTI, S., DIOP, L.E.N. & SALL, M. (2026). Trajectories of migration aspirations through urban and temporal lenses: rethinking (im)mobility decision-making in Dakar, Senegal, Comparative Migration Studies, 14, 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-026-00537-4

PELLICCIA, A., & DEGLI UBERTI, S. (2026). Staying to move: an ethnography of intra-urban residential (im)mobility in Rome’s Banglatown, Housing Studies, 1–24, vol. 42. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2026.2672380

PELLICCIA, A., DEGLI UBERTI, S., & MASI, G. M. (2026). Toward a socio-anthropology of intra-urban residential (im)mobilities. The case of Filipino migrants in Italy, Mobilities, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2026.2619599

DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2024). “Historical Layers of Refugee Reception in Border Areas of Italy. Crossroads of Transit and Temporalities of (Im)mobility”, Journal of International Migration and Integration, 25(1), pp. 1133–1152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-024-01125-0

DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2022). “Editorial: Entangled Temporalities of Migration in the Western Balkans. Ethnographic Perspectives on (Im)-mobilities and Reception Governance”, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 24 (3), pp.429-438 https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2021.2015655

ALTIN R., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2022). “Placed in Time. Migration Policies and Temporalities of (Im)Mobility Across the Eastern European Borders”, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 24 (3), pp.439-459. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448 953.2021.2015662

DEGLI UBERTI S. (2021). “Unveiling Informality through Im/mobility. Conceptual Analysis of Asylum Seekers and Refugees at the Margins of the Reception system in Italy”, Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 26 (5), pp. 528-551 https://doi.org/10.1080/1354571X.2021.1953777

DEGLI UBERTI S. (2019). ‘Migrare restando a casa’. Pratiche di Mobilità e Immaginari migratori in Senegal, in B. Riccio (eds.), Mobilità. Incursioni etnografiche, Milano: Mondadori, pp.23-63

DEGLI UBERTI S., RICCIO B. (2017). “Imagining greener pastures? Shifting perceptions of Europe and mobility within contemporary Senegal. A diachronic grounded perspective”, Journal of Ethnography and Qualitative Research, 3, pp. 339-362 https://www.rivisteweb.it/doi/10.3240/88710

DEGLI UBERTI S., DE LOMBAERDE P., NITA S., LEGOVINI E. (2015). “Analyzing Intra-regional Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statistical Data Constraints and the role for Regional Organizations”, Regions and Cohesion, 5 (2), pp. 77-113 https://doi.org/10.3167/reco.2015.050204

KINGAH S., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2015). “Has South Africa the Spine for Global Leadership?”, in S. Kingah and C. Quiliconi, Global and Regional Leadership of Brics Countries, Springer Press, pp. 209-224 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-22972-0_12

DEGLI UBERTI S. (2014). “Culture delle Migrazioni”, in B. Riccio, Antropologia e Migrazioni, CISU, pp. 21-33 https://www.cisu.it/prodotto/antropologia-e-migrazioni/

DEGLI UBERTI S. (2011). “Turismo e immaginari migratori. Esperienze dell’Altrove nel Senegal urbano”, Archivio Antropologico Mediterraneo, 13 (1), pp. 67-83. https://doi.org/10.7432/AAM130107

Participants

Stefano degli Uberti - Responsible

Andrea Pelliccia

Roberta Altin

Lancine Eric Nestor Diop

Mohamadou Sall

Other POPMIG projects

Presentation: Towards a New Social Pact. Labor, Welfare, and Ecological Sustainability in the Twin Transition

Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 10.00-12.00
Sala Misiti – CNR-IRPPS, via Palestro 32, Rome
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Andrea Ciarini, Associate Professor of Economic and Labor Sociology at Sapienza University of Rome, will present his latest book “Towards a New Social Pact. Labor, Welfare, and Ecological Sustainability in the Twin Transition”, published by Donzelli, in conversation with Enrica Morlicchio, University of Naples “Federico II”, Mimmo Carrieri, Sapienza University of Rome, and Angelo Salento, University of Salento.

The meeting will be moderated by Mattia Vitiello (CNR-IRPPS).

Sustainability issues have fully entered the political and economic agenda. Yet, the twin transition—ecological and digital—is proving to be anything but linear, and even less equitable. The promises of green growth and technological innovation are clashing with the emergence of new inequalities, which add to existing ones, fueling insecurity and tension. Those most affected are social groups who fear losing their acquired status or being penalized by transformations perceived as uncontrollable. The intertwining of environmental, economic, and social issues can no longer be addressed simply as a matter of sustainable development policies, nor reduced to compensatory measures for those at risk of being left behind. Rather, it is the testing ground on which the interests at stake and the profound transformations radically redefining the landscape of work and social protection systems are measured. Hence the urgency of a new social pact that can bring together economic needs, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Starting from a critical analysis of current policies and their limitations, this volume proposes an alternative perspective, indicating concrete solutions to make the transition not only just but also desirable in terms of quality of life and collective well-being.

Andrea Ciarini is Associate Professor of Economic and Labor Sociology at the Department of Social and Economic Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome, where he teaches Economic Sociology and Sociology of Welfare. His books include Politiche di welfare e investimenti sociali (2020) and Le politiche sociali nelle regioni italiane. Costanti storiche e trasformazioni recenti (2013), both published by il Mulino.

Closing conference of the PRIN Well-Mig project

The conference “Migration and Subjective Well-Being in Italy and Europe. Final Conference of the WELL-MIG Project: Indicators, Narratives, and Policy Perspectives” took place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, in the Sala Misiti of the CNR-IRPPS in Rome.

The study day, marking the conclusion of the PRIN project The subjective well-being of immigrants and natives: Italy in the European context (WELL-MIG), coordinated by IRPPS-CNR and carried out with the Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory and Finance (MEMOTEF) of Sapienza University of Rome, was dedicated to the links between migration, integration, and subjective well-being.

The first session, moderated by Corrado Bonifazi, featured a presentation by Angela Paparusso (CNR-IRPPS), who presented the main results of the WELL-MIG project and future perspectives, followed by a keynote speech by Claudia Finotelli (Complutense University of Madrid) on citizenship, integration, and well-being in Italy and Spain.

In the second session, coordinated by Frank Heins, traditional and innovative indicators of subjective well-being were discussed with contributions from Alberto Arcagni, Martina Bodo, and Daniela Foresta, who addressed mental health, transitions to adulthood, and the well-being of adolescents, both natives and migrants, respectively.

The afternoon was dedicated to subjective well-being and migration narratives, moderated by Mattia Vitiello. Following the keynote lecture by Paolo Boccagni (University of Trento) on the temporal, spatial, and relational dimensions of well-being in migration, Stefano degli Uberti and Cecilia Fortunato gave their presentations.

The day concluded with a discussion and final reflections by Giorgio Alleva and Elena Ambrosetti (Sapienza University of Rome).

Angela Paparusso was the scientific and organizational lead for the initiative.

CNEL Report 2024 – Demographics and Labor Force

In the “CNEL Report 2024 – Demographics and Labor Force“, Corrado Bonifazi and Angela Paparusso analyze the growing impact of immigration on Italian demographics and economy, highlighting how migration flows are essential to sustain the country’s labor market.

With a constantly aging population and a declining labor force, immigration emerges as a fundamental factor for demographic renewal and strengthening of the production system.

Bonifazi and Paparusso propose more effective migration policies and integration strategies that can strengthen the positive contribution of immigrants, fostering greater social cohesion and more sustainable management of human resources.

For more information, please consult the full Report and read the news on the CNEL website.

Book Presentation “Prima agli italiani”

Thursday, November 14, 2:30 PM

G. Marconi Library – CNR, Piazzale Aldo Moro 7, Rome

Award presented to the book Social History of Italian Emigration

The book Social History of Italian Emigration: From Unification to the Present, by Enrico Pugliese and Mattia Vitiello and published by Il Mulino, has received the 2024 Memorie Migrate Award from the Municipality of Castelluccio Inferiore.

The volume adopts a historical-sociological approach to the history of Italian emigration abroad, highlighting the significance of emigration in the transformations of our country.

Watch the interview with the authors and read the review in Il Manifesto.

World Refugee Day

On World Refugee Day, we recall the shared Statement on migration promoted by the Convention of the Italian Network of UNESCO Chairs, of which CNR-IRPPS researcher Angela Paparusso is a member.

The subjective well-being of immigrants and natives (WELL-MIG)

The subjective well-being of immigrants and natives: Italy in the European context (WELL-MIG) is a PRIN project (Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale-2022CHTHEF).

It is funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), with a two-year duration, coordinated by IRPPS-CNR and carried out with the Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory and Finance (MEMOTEF) of Sapienza University of Rome.

The WELL-MIG project aims to advance knowledge on subjective well-being (SWB) in Italy within the European context, studying its different measures among immigrants and natives, across immigrant generations and over time.

News

What are the project's objectives?

WELL-MIG will measure the effect of various individual and contextual factors, including the implications of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, on the subjective well-being of different population groups. To do this, the project will:

jointly analyze various official surveys conducted in European countries, including Italy, in the period 2015-2022 (WP1);
develop new indicators and interpretative models on SWB, based on non-aggregative approaches, and integrating them with traditional ones and
analyze social media data to investigate the characteristics and dynamics of the relationship between the population’s subjective well-being and immigration (WP2);
study the life stories of immigrants to understand their SWB before and after the migration experience, also in relation to the acquisition of citizenship (WP3).

The WELL-MIG project has important implications not only for science, but also for social cohesion and policymaking. In fact, the project aims to increase awareness of the importance of developing up-to-date survey data and formulating new indicators on SWB at the European level. Furthermore, the work of WELL-MIG will contribute to a deeper understanding of the SWB level of the immigrant population and assist policymakers in implementing factors that improve the population’s SWB.

IRPPS Participants

MEMOTEF Participants

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Scholars at Risk
IRPPS, together with CNR, adheres to Scholars at Risk, an international network that promotes protection activities for scholars in danger, advocacy, and training for academic freedom. A course on “Guidelines for the reception of scholars at risk,” necessary for those wishing to actively participate in the network, is scheduled.

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3 Perspectives on World Population Day
On the occasion of World Population Day, we gathered three different perspectives on population studies at our Institute.

With Angela Paparusso, a demographer in the Population and Migration group, we discussed demographic aging, family models, and migration.
With Patrizia Grifoni, an engineer in the Social Informatics and Technology Assessment group, we focused on the various social implications of the spread of information and communication technologies (ICT).
We asked Daniele Archibugi, an economist in the Globalization, Research and Innovation group, about the current relationship between demographic dynamics and the economy.

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