MOBI - Mobility, Borders and Inclusion<\/span> <\/h1> <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKeywords<\/strong>: Mobility, immobility, migration, transnationalism, borders, temporality and memory, migration and reception policies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe MOBI (MObility, Borders and Inclusion) <\/strong>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. <\/p>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. <\/p>
Within this research framework, special emphasis is placed on strengthening international scientific networks and fostering collaborations with scholars and institutions in migrants\u2019 countries of origin.<\/p>
At present, the following research activities fall within this framework:<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n Qualitative Study of African Migration<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n A qualitative study of African migration through a multi-sited approach, with particular focus on the Senegalese migration in selected areas of origin (Dakar, Thi\u00e8s, and the Petite C\u00f4te) and in Italy. The ethnographic research on the phenomenon of \u201cboat migration\u201d 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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n \r\n A Multiscalar Study of (Im)mobility and Urban Dwelling<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n 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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n \r\n Historical-Ethnographic Study of the Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Italy<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n 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\u2014including oral testimonies, newspaper articles, and photographic documentation\u2014the study analyses reception policies and practices related to recent migratory movements along the so-called \u201cBalkan Route\u201d and the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe 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.<\/p>
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. <\/p>
Publications<\/strong><\/p>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,<\/em> 14, 21. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40878-026-00537-4<\/a> <\/p>PELLICCIA, A., & DEGLI UBERTI, S. (2026). Staying to move: an ethnography of intra-urban residential (im)mobility in Rome\u2019s Banglatown, Housing Studies<\/em>, 1\u201324, vol. 42. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/02673037.2026.2672380<\/a> <\/p>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<\/em>, 1\u201318. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/17450101.2026.2619599<\/a> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2024). \u201cHistorical Layers of Refugee Reception in Border Areas of Italy. Crossroads of Transit and Temporalities of (Im)mobility\u201d, J<\/em>ournal of International Migration and Integration, 25(1), pp. 1133\u2013<\/em>1152. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12134-024-01125-0<\/a><\/span> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2022). \u201cEditorial: Entangled Temporalities of Migration in the Western Balkans. Ethnographic Perspectives on (Im)-mobilities and Reception Governance\u201d, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies,<\/em> 24 (3), pp.429-438 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19448953.2021.2015655<\/a><\/span> <\/p>ALTIN R., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2022). \u201cPlaced in Time. Migration Policies and Temporalities of (Im)Mobility Across the Eastern European Borders\u201d, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies<\/em>, 24 (3), pp.439-459. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19448 953.2021.2015662<\/a> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S. (2021). \u201cUnveiling Informality through Im\/mobility. Conceptual Analysis of Asylum Seekers and Refugees at the Margins of the Reception system in Italy\u201d, Journal of Modern Italian Studies<\/em>, 26 (5), pp. 528-551 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1354571X.2021.1953777<\/a> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S. (2019). \u2018Migrare restando a casa\u2019. Pratiche di Mobilit\u00e0 e Immaginari migratori in Senegal, in B. Riccio (eds.), Mobilit\u00e0. Incursioni etnografiche<\/em>, Milano: Mondadori, pp.23-63 <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S., RICCIO B. (2017). \u201cImagining greener pastures? Shifting perceptions of Europe and mobility within contemporary Senegal. A diachronic grounded perspective\u201d, Journal of Ethnography and Qualitative Research<\/em>, 3, pp. 339-362 https:\/\/www.rivisteweb.it\/doi\/10.3240\/88710<\/a> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S., DE LOMBAERDE P., NITA S., LEGOVINI E. (2015). \u201cAnalyzing Intra-regional Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statistical Data Constraints and the role for Regional Organizations\u201d, Regions and Cohesion<\/em>, 5 (2), pp. 77-113 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3167\/reco.2015.050204<\/a><\/span> <\/p>KINGAH S., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2015). \u201cHas South Africa the Spine for Global Leadership?\u201d, in S. Kingah and C. Quiliconi, Global and Regional Leadership of Brics Countries<\/em>, Springer Press, pp. 209-224 https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-319-22972-0_12<\/a><\/span> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S. (2014). \u201cCulture delle Migrazioni\u201d, in B. Riccio, Antropologia e Migrazioni<\/em>, CISU, pp. 21-33 https:\/\/www.cisu.it\/prodotto\/antropologia-e-migrazioni\/<\/a><\/span> <\/p>DEGLI UBERTI S. (2011). \u201cTurismo e immaginari migratori. Esperienze dell\u2019Altrove nel Senegal urbano\u201d, Archivio Antropologico Mediterraneo<\/em>, 13 (1), pp. 67-83. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7432\/AAM130107<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.irpps.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Logo_MOBI-project-1024x1022.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
Keywords<\/strong>: Mobility, immobility, migration, transnationalism, borders, temporality and memory, migration and reception policies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The MOBI (MObility, Borders and Inclusion) <\/strong>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. <\/p> 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. <\/p> Within this research framework, special emphasis is placed on strengthening international scientific networks and fostering collaborations with scholars and institutions in migrants\u2019 countries of origin.<\/p> At present, the following research activities fall within this framework:<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A qualitative study of African migration through a multi-sited approach, with particular focus on the Senegalese migration in selected areas of origin (Dakar, Thi\u00e8s, and the Petite C\u00f4te) and in Italy. The ethnographic research on the phenomenon of \u201cboat migration\u201d 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: 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. <\/p>\n 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: 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n 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\u2014including oral testimonies, newspaper articles, and photographic documentation\u2014the study analyses reception policies and practices related to recent migratory movements along the so-called \u201cBalkan Route\u201d and the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. <\/p>\n 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 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.<\/p> 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. <\/p> Publications<\/strong><\/p> 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,<\/em> 14, 21. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40878-026-00537-4<\/a> <\/p> PELLICCIA, A., & DEGLI UBERTI, S. (2026). Staying to move: an ethnography of intra-urban residential (im)mobility in Rome\u2019s Banglatown, Housing Studies<\/em>, 1\u201324, vol. 42. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/02673037.2026.2672380<\/a> <\/p> 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<\/em>, 1\u201318. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/17450101.2026.2619599<\/a> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2024). \u201cHistorical Layers of Refugee Reception in Border Areas of Italy. Crossroads of Transit and Temporalities of (Im)mobility\u201d, J<\/em>ournal of International Migration and Integration, 25(1), pp. 1133\u2013<\/em>1152. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12134-024-01125-0<\/a><\/span> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S., ALTIN R. (2022). \u201cEditorial: Entangled Temporalities of Migration in the Western Balkans. Ethnographic Perspectives on (Im)-mobilities and Reception Governance\u201d, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies,<\/em> 24 (3), pp.429-438 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19448953.2021.2015655<\/a><\/span> <\/p> ALTIN R., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2022). \u201cPlaced in Time. Migration Policies and Temporalities of (Im)Mobility Across the Eastern European Borders\u201d, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies<\/em>, 24 (3), pp.439-459. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19448 953.2021.2015662<\/a> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S. (2021). \u201cUnveiling Informality through Im\/mobility. Conceptual Analysis of Asylum Seekers and Refugees at the Margins of the Reception system in Italy\u201d, Journal of Modern Italian Studies<\/em>, 26 (5), pp. 528-551 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1354571X.2021.1953777<\/a> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S. (2019). \u2018Migrare restando a casa\u2019. Pratiche di Mobilit\u00e0 e Immaginari migratori in Senegal, in B. Riccio (eds.), Mobilit\u00e0. Incursioni etnografiche<\/em>, Milano: Mondadori, pp.23-63 <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S., RICCIO B. (2017). \u201cImagining greener pastures? Shifting perceptions of Europe and mobility within contemporary Senegal. A diachronic grounded perspective\u201d, Journal of Ethnography and Qualitative Research<\/em>, 3, pp. 339-362 https:\/\/www.rivisteweb.it\/doi\/10.3240\/88710<\/a> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S., DE LOMBAERDE P., NITA S., LEGOVINI E. (2015). \u201cAnalyzing Intra-regional Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statistical Data Constraints and the role for Regional Organizations\u201d, Regions and Cohesion<\/em>, 5 (2), pp. 77-113 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3167\/reco.2015.050204<\/a><\/span> <\/p> KINGAH S., DEGLI UBERTI S. (2015). \u201cHas South Africa the Spine for Global Leadership?\u201d, in S. Kingah and C. Quiliconi, Global and Regional Leadership of Brics Countries<\/em>, Springer Press, pp. 209-224 https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-319-22972-0_12<\/a><\/span> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S. (2014). \u201cCulture delle Migrazioni\u201d, in B. Riccio, Antropologia e Migrazioni<\/em>, CISU, pp. 21-33 https:\/\/www.cisu.it\/prodotto\/antropologia-e-migrazioni\/<\/a><\/span> <\/p> DEGLI UBERTI S. (2011). \u201cTurismo e immaginari migratori. Esperienze dell\u2019Altrove nel Senegal urbano\u201d, Archivio Antropologico Mediterraneo<\/em>, 13 (1), pp. 67-83. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7432\/AAM130107<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\r\n Qualitative Study of African Migration<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n
- 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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n A Multiscalar Study of (Im)mobility and Urban Dwelling<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n
- 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. <\/p>\n\r\n Historical-Ethnographic Study of the Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Italy<\/span>\r\n <\/i> <\/h4>\r\n
- 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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t