A seminar on “Migration and mobility within the borders of Europe” was organized by Unione Nazionale Associazione Immigrati e Emigrati (UNAIE), funded by European Union and EZA. Due to the health emergency Sars-Cov-2 the seminar took place in February 2021 (instead of November 2020 as estimated) and entirely as online seminar. An online meeting platform was used to connect the speakers, while the public could watch the conference in a live stream format.
The online seminar had 365 views in Italian and 150 in English for the first day of the meeting, while 199 in Italian and 120 in English for the second day. The live streaming was attended by about 70 people between English and Italian. Besides Italy, the European countries represented were: Bulgaria, Albania, France, Germany, Slovenia, Belgium, Croatia, Slovakia, Malta, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Lithuania.
From non-European countries we have had connections from: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, United States.
The conference was divided into four sessions:
- Mobility: from individual practice to social phenomenon
- Sars-cov-2 and mobility: what we know
- Focus about Eastern
- Round table with mobile witnesses and conclusions
First session: The conference began with the intervention of Alberto Tafner (President of Trentini nel Mondo) who pondered about the concept of emigration as a deeply human phenomenon, made of suffering but also of hope. Tafner spoke of the need of osmosis between borders to create the European citizens of tomorrow, underlining the difficulties that have grown in the last year for those who live and work in foreign country. Delfina Licata (researcher and curator of the Migrantes Foundation) presented the report on Italians in the world, focusing the research on the mobility of Italians in Europe and outlining the profile of modern migrants, the problems and challenges of the future. Luciano Rocchetti (Director of the Emigration Office of the Autonomous Province of Trento) spoke about what and how the public institution, connected with the European institutions, can manage the mobility phenomenon. Lara Olivetti (FreefyAB international law solicitor in Stockholm) was present in two different roles: emigrant (she analyzed her own path in relation to the local and European reality) and lawyer (she spoke of the knots still to be resolved on European mobility from a legal point of view). Edith Pichler (Professor of the University of Potsdam) drew a parallel between the working and economic conditions of migrants arrived in Germany in the 1970s, and today, analyzing statistics and data on employment, integration and wages. She also spoke about the gap between the sweetened image of Germany that exists outside the border and internal problems. Frederic Spagnoli (Professor at the University of Franche-Comté) spoke about historical and modern immigration in Besançon, underlining the important role of the Erasmus project for encouraging youth mobility and thus creating European citizens.
Another session was dedicated to the pandemia in relation to mobility, Dr. Ilaria Dorigatti (Imperial College London) who is part of the team of epidemiologists who have studied, and still study, the pandemic. After explaining the context of diffusion and research, and the measures adopted for containment, the role of mobility was related with the diffusion and then she outlined hypotheses on the future of travel.
Third session: Irina Diana Madroane (West University of Timisoara) and Alexandru I. Carlan (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration of Bucharest) spoke about Romanian mobility, focusing about national and international media’s narrative of the phenomenon. They also highlighted the social problems related to the size of the emigration flow, from the demographic vacuum to family problems, one of all the so-called "Romania syndrome" (children who grow up with the absence of the mother figure and other female figures of reference because busy working abroad). Gyorgy Lajtai (MOSZ Hungary) outlined the evolution of migration processes in relation to labor market reforms from 2004 to today. He explained the results of surveys that aimed to investigate the main reasons that held Hungarians to emigrate and the related problems, such as the vacuum of highly skilled workers. A contraction in the emigration flow occurs in 2016 when an important agreement is made among employees, trade unions and the state, aimed to decrease the gap between wage and labor costs, demonstrating that emigration is closely linked to the management of the labor market. Rumen Valchev (Open Education Center Foundation) introduced his report talking about the general situation of emigration from Eastern Europe, and then focused on Bulgaria. In particular, he analyzed the migratory situation in relation to entry into the EU, the level of education, ethnic-linguistic affiliation, age and sex, residence in the city or in rural areas, highlighting a fairly diversified picture. The data show that many people are forced to emigrate in spite of themselves and they can’t return home even if they want to. He also talked about seasonal migrations, where people work for half a year in other countries to earn the surplus that guarantees better standards in Bulgaria. Caterina Ghobert (PhD student at the University of Vienna) presented the Balkans as a land of immigration, emigration and passage, framing the phenomenon from a historical, social and territorial development point of view. She spoke about the dynamics and the motivations that make this land both a repulsive and attractive country, and underlined the problems related to being a refugee stationing country along the so-called Balkan Route. She analyzed the stereotypes born from the media’s distortion of reality, which tend to flatten the debate polarizing the situation on the two fronts: for and against the reception of refugees.
Round table: 4 direct witnesses of European mobility discuss and dialogue on various issues that can be divided into these macro-themes: choice and reasons behind the departure; integration into the new reality and interaction with other migrants, with locals and with one's own country; how COVID has changed work routine, the concept of distance and the perception of a united Europe.
Vittorino Rodaro (councilor of Trentini nel Mondo and EZA-PICM Platform) concluded the seminar. He retraced the steps of the conference identifying the recurring and often unresolved issues, making observations aimed at soliciting the European institutions. A Europe that shown a weak and non-supportive face during the first months of pandemic. However, hope comes out the formation of mixed and composite identities of those who live in mobility. There are 2 key messages that can be gathered from this online seminar: mobility is intrinsic in human history and the European Pillar of Social Rights must be implemented, to smooth out inequalities and create a real European legal framework for the protection of labor and workers and for a true equalization of rights among countries. Rodaro concludes by launching an appeal to the associations that should have a role of ambassador between European institutions and citizens, bringing the requests of the latter and observing and reporting the delays of the former.
At the end of the conference there was a more complete and clear picture of migratory phenomenon and mobility within the European borders, but also of the importance of the media in presenting and orienting public opinion. There is a clear concern for the future that sees the desertification of some regions and the innovative and propulsive forces concentrating only in some areas capable of attracting, leaving others totally unguarded and destined to stagnation and recession. The process of individual choice aimed by the binomial "improvement of economic condition - emigrate" becomes a social phenomenon when the choice is widespread in large portions of the population. Europe has a lack of interest in solving this situation, that enlarge the social dumping and exploitation of workers, inside an unfair economic competition in the Community market.