In 1974, Britain appeared to move from one crisis to the next: fuel shortages, miners’ strikes, IRA bombings and rolling power cuts dominated the headlines. Politicians warned of a country on the brink. Yet from the perspective of London’s migrant communities, the story looked different. What was framed as a
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The COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing precarities and created new ones. While some people received state support, many others, especially those with fragile living and working conditions, fell through the cracks. NGOs and civil society initiatives tried to step in to fill those gaps. But what did that mean? During the
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When people turn to organizations like Caritas, they are often looking for clarity and support in difficult situations. Since a Swiss migration law change in 2019, civil society organizations have operated in a narrow space: they cannot replace the welfare state or fully remove legal uncertainty. What they can do
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Social policy and immigration policy are among the most contested areas in contemporary politics, especially in the Global North. At their intersection – where immigrants’ access to welfare is decided – debates intensify. Here, questions of belonging and solidarity collide, with tangible consequences. They determine who receives support in times
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Interviews between asylum seekers and territorial commissioners are an essential part of the asylum application process in Italy and many other European countries. In most cases, decisions are based mainly on what applicants say during these interviews, rather than on documentary evidence. As a result, asylum authorities evaluate whether the
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