Migrant Integration in Small Municipalities. An Assessment of the System Protection for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Italy.

Carla Ventre, PhD student
Elena Ambrosetti, La Sapienza, University of Rome

Since the mid-1900s, small and medium-size towns in Italy have experienced high rates of emigration to large cities or abroad causing a collapse of local economies. The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent the immigrants’ integration policy (SPRAR) both affects the development of small municipalities and supports the growth of the entire community. The focus of this paper is the case study of the municipality of Riace: does it represent a valid example of fair economy for the growth of small municipalities? SPRAR integration policy was in force from 2003 to 2018. During this period, all Italian municipalities could apply for funding to integrate immigrants and Riace adhered to SPRAR integration policy with some specific adjustments. The study's methodology is the Synthetic Control Method, a quantitative method used for policy evaluation. The initial findings show a positive treatment effect: the SPRAR system with the Riace model has had an extremely significant impact for the municipality. The study of demographic dynamics can provide valuable insights. Moreover, this empirical evaluation is associated with relevant implications from a policy perspective: the integration of migrants as part of society and not as individuals to be isolated.

Keywords: Population Policies, Migrant Populations and Refugees, Population and Development, Econometrics

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