The Mediterranean Passage

Book excerpt: During the last two decades of the twentieth century, southern Europe became a key destination for global migration. Countries which had been important source countries for emigration, mainly to northern Europe, quickly became targets for international migrants coming from an extraordinary range of source countries. Today, the management of immigration is complex with countries torn between the need to satisfy the rules of Schengen and 'fortress Europe' on the one hand, and the economic benefits of cheap and flexible labour supplies on the other. This book brings together a variety of detailed studies recording the 'cultural encounters' of these migrants. Most of the chapters are based on detailed research in locations such as Lisbon, the Algarve, Barcelona, Turin, Bologna, Sicily and Athens, as well as in source countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Albania and the Philippines. What emerges is a scenario diverse and rapidly evolving, with cultural encounters which are both enriching and depressing, yet always fascinating.