Contributions to international migration studies

Abstract

The study of the various aspects of international migration has been one of the main activities of the Institute for Population Research since its foundation. In this field, research has been done on the underlying trends, the causes and the main effects of the dynamics of international migration and some specific situations have been analysed, with special reference to Italy. This present volume brings together four recent studies analysing international migration from different points of view and presents a picture of current trends. The first study, by Corrado Bonifazi, concentrates on the theoretical implications of the study of migration, identifying the proposals and contributions that are best suited to understanding the situation in Italy. The second contribution, by Corrado Bonifazi and Salvatore Strozza, gives a general overview of the development of migration in Europe over the last fifty years. The third study, by Caterina Gallina and Giuseppe Gesano, analyses the causes of migration in the Mediterranean scenario, highlighting the factors that have contributed - and will contribute - most to the dynamics of international migration. The fouth work, by Giuseppe Gesano, analyses the economic motivations and the plans of recent Ghanians and Egyptian migrants in Italy, using the result of a research on the causes of migration supported by Eurostat and coordinated by NIDI. The second and third contributions were prepared as part of the research carried out at the University of Rome La Sapienza on movements of people and capital in Europe, a project coordinated by Nicola Acocella and Eugenio Sonnino.