Is Italian agriculture a ‘pull factor’ for irregular migration – and, if so, why?

Abstract

In September 2017, the European Commission Communication on the Mid-Term Review of the EU Agenda for Migration acknowledged ‘undeclared work’ in specific sectors of the economy of various member states as a ‘pull factor’ for irregular migration to the EU. By analysing the case of Italian agriculture, this policy brief – based on the findings of a comprehensive report commissioned by the Open Society European Policy Institute and drafted by a team of researchers coordinated by the European University Institute - turns the argument on its head, demonstrating that the supply of (irregular) migrant labour is only one of the factors that impact the wider process of restructuring of agricultural production, which began in the 1990s.