Living and working conditions of irregularised foreign workers in Italy: insights from fieldwork across agriculture, food, and elder care

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• MPC: Migration Policy Centre

Across Italy, employers in certain sectors such as care or agriculture are increasingly facing difficulties finding workers, especially after COVID. As a solution to this systemic lack of workforce, quotas for seasonal workers have significantly increased in the past years, but often come at the cost of weaker protections. How can labour migration policies navigate the tension between economic demands and workers’ rights?

This hybrid workshop brings together scholars and researchers to reflect on the lived experiences and working conditions of irregularised foreign workers in Italy, focusing on three key sectors: agriculture and food processing, restaurants and food delivery, and elder care. Participants will engage with the latest empirical findings from Horizon projects DignityFIRM, iClaim, and PRIME, highlighting the challenges and strategies of workers navigating precarious employment, legal insecurity, and social marginalisation.

The workshop will provide a platform for critical discussion, comparative analysis, and methodological reflection on fieldwork experiences, aiming to foster dialogue between academics and generate insights for policy.