Politiche, servizi e migranti: questioni aperte sull’integrazione

Integration is a key issue of migration policy, regarding the decisions on the recognition of rights to foreigners in a territory; recognition that as a matter of fact, as well as by law, traces the trajectories of migrants and how to enter into the host societies. The social policy decisions in recent years seem to go in an opposite direction to that of a universal welfare state, in which to balance in a fair way the needs of all people, citizens or migrants; the limited resources available and the subsequent preference mechanisms introduced restrict more and more the possible beneficiaries (through the tightening of the entry requirements), thus jeopardizing the recognition of equal dignity and fundamental rights of foreigners. The reflection on the ethical and political dimension of the recent welfare policies is offered as a cue to look at the future of social intervention, the area of integration of migrants, thinking as indissociably linked the promotion of integration policies, the rethinking of the organization of local services and social cohesion as the ultimate goal of any intervention.