Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study

In this paper we examine how Small and Medium-sized Towns (SMTs) address migrants’ participation amidst hostility. To do so, we focus on a small town in central Italy. We scrutinise two dimensions of participation – visibility and agency in policy-making – and connect them to specific forms of hostility towards migrants that can arise in small communities. We also consider how changes in the social fabric and political discourse can overcome and subvert such hostilities. By exploring the case vertically (involving institutions) and horizontally (involving civil society actors), we analyse local migrants’ participation in light of political transitions and changes in the local government’s attitude. We focus in particular on how and whether migrants are granted space in the planning and implementation of integration and participation policies across different periods in a small town in central Italy. This case highlights substantial policy transitions that shape migrants' involvement in local life and set boundaries on their engagement. The paper, which is based on qualitative research conducted within the EU-funded project “PISTE - Participation in Small and Medium-sized Towns: Experiences, Exchanges, Experiments”, relies on policy analysis and 17 semi-structured interviews with policy-makers and civil society actors. The results show that political discourse on migration affects perceptions and practices of hostility in regard to migrants and the forms of visibility assumed by migrants’ participation in SMTs. When participation is politically hindered, everyday practices of visibility (such as being visible in public spaces) assume political significance. The presence of ‘bridging figures’ is crucial for facilitating the transition from an adverse to a more inclusive political environment, enhancing participation by specific migrant groups. However, reliance on such bridging figures and personal relationships can be a double-edged sword. It can promote participation, but it may confine it to individual interactions rather than foster broader migrant engagement.