“Yes, but somebody has to help them, somehow:” Looking at the Italian detention field through the eyes of professional nonstate actors

Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Scirocchi, Silvia; Tomai, Manuela; Di Napoli, Immacolata; Arcidiacono, Caterina

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8222

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
Imigration enforcement, securization, and social dynamics(APPsyCI).pdf		237.75 KB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Di Napoli, Immacolata

Arcidiacono, Caterina

Abstract(s)

Although migration-related detention has proliferated around the world, little is known about life inside these sites of confinement for illegalized non-citizens. Building on 34 months of fieldwork, this article examines the lived experiences of center staff and external civil-society actors engaged within Rome’s detention center. We discuss the emotional, ethical, and political challenges faced by these professional actors in their everyday work and their relationship with detainees. Our aim is to shed light on psychosocial life in detention and the intersections between humanitarian and security logics in this setting. In doing so, we problematize the idea that “humanizing detention” can be a solution for change.

Keywords

Migrant detention Lived experiences Humanitarian government Italy Center staff External civil-society actors

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8222

Citation

Esposito, F., Ornelas, J., Scirocchi, S., Tomai, M., Napoli, I. de & Arcidiacono, C.(2020). “Yes, but somebody has to help them, somehow:” Looking at the Italian detention field through the eyes of professional nonstate actors. International Migration Review, 55(1), 166-194 https://doi.org/10.1177/0197918320921134