Il lavoro degli immigrati in Europa e in Italia: Una sfida paradigmatica per la costruzione di un’economia inclusiva

The European migration regime has been traditionally based on the temporary labor model. Coherently with the processes of social construction of migrants’ role, this model has encouraged their “natural” concentration in the lowest ranks of the professional hierarchy which, in turn, has produced a condition of structural disadvantage, often transmitted to the second generation too. Despite the significant effort for the inclusion and the equalization of migrants and their offspring, migratory policies as well migrants’ participation to the labor market continue to mirror a model of subordinate incorporation. This latter, in its turn, is consistent with many phenomena typical of current accumulation regimes, such as the processes of labor commodification and the degradation of working and retributive conditions. The Italian experience is emblematic, as proved by many indicators which, together with the structural role played by migrant workers, show a clear tendency towards the ethno-stratification of the labor market and the society. Definitely, the sustainability of the Italian integration model, and of Italian accumulation regime, requires the increase of employment rates, labor productivity, and retributions’ level. This challenge does not involve migrants only, even if they are a paradigmatic category.