New trends in Italian immigration policies: ‘Change everything and everything stays as it is’

The measures against irregular migration approved in 2008 have given rise to a wave of criticism across the EU. The Italian government of Silvio Berlusoni has been accused of racism while the Italian Minister of the Interior insists that his measures are simply reasonable ways of dealing with irregular immigration and guaranteeing the safety of Italian citizens. This paper argues that the new rules, although more uncertain than they seem at first glance (and sometimes thoroughly unpleasant), do not solve the contradictory logic of Italy’s immigration policies, with an increasing demand for foreign labour conflicting with the trend towards more restrictive measures. The main object of this paper is to show that the reform proposed by the Italian government is unlikely to reduce the rate of irregular migrants in Italy.