Rethinking Being and Belonging During the Pandemic: Observations of a Migrant in Italy

Italy has been one of the worst-hit countries by the COVID-2019 pandemic, as its rich social ties and a strong sense of community turned out to be its greatest weakness. A month and a half since the cases started to proliferate, the Italian society is rediscovering a shared sense of community and putting civic duties before the individual freedom of movement. As the exclusionary discourse of populist politics is gradually being replaced by displays of solidarity, the Italian example demonstrates the importance of public health, transparent governance, and a sense of social responsibility.

The unthinkable happened in late February, when all Carnival celebrations were canceled throughout Italy, including the world-famous Carnival of Venice. Italians who take pride in their traditions and magnificent culture were rightfully upset- but not worried.

The first week passed with much confusion. Some said it was just a ‘bad flu,’ others said ‘life should continue.’ The already fragile Italian economy was taking its first blows in the tourism sector. Yet, others advised not to exaggerate since it only affected ‘the elderly and the chronically ill,’ as if they did not constitute an equal part in the society – particularly in a country with the oldest population in Europe.

The second week, we woke up to an utterly different reality with numbers of infected people skyrocketing. The public and universal health system in Italy was our console, a blessing for migrants like myself who enjoy easy and affordable access to health services. Nevertheless, faced with unprecedented numbers of patients, the system started to give early warning. Although public health was a stronghold for the Italian state, it had been crumbling from budget cuts under the economic crisis.

While we started to grasp the colossal threat that awaited us at that point, it seemed already too late. Part of the population resisted drastic changes in their daily routines. Sociality has always been a visible characteristic of the Italian society, rendering the ‘Italian way of life’ so appealing. Especially for migrants like myself, who had to start all over, grass-root social inclusion and the sense of community is a big advantage.

Notwithstanding the growing success of right-wing populism and xenophobia in Italy, there is a potent albeit overlooked resistance to exclusionary politics. Moreover, there is a remarkable movement against all kinds of racism and discrimination, against top-down integration measures, fight for equal citizenship rights to second-generation migrants, as well as a dignified life for refugees and asylum seekers in Italy. The movement challenges opportunistic politicians promoting anti-immigrant sentiments, while trying to capitalize on existing insecurities. This significant trend has recently manifested itself in the Sardines movement, as people filled the squares to say ‘Not in my name’ to the politics of hate.

In week three, the virus hit us where it hurt the most: our social lives turned out to be our biggest weakness. In a country where the elderly enjoyed an active life, a country with robust social ties, resisting isolation proved to be lethal. It heavily burdened health workers struggling day and night on the frontlines. Eventually, the piazzas emptied, and civic life came to a halt.

Despite the swift response and strong measures undertaken by the government, who immediately put public health before market interests, society could not respond overnight to transform its deeply rooted habits and way of life.

Meanwhile, the Italian right learned it the hard way what it means to ‘escape’ a life-threatening situation and not be welcomed. The Lega party supporters that were shouting ‘close the ports, no more migrants!’ suddenly found themselves in a position of persona non grata in other countries. The virus forced a sense of empathy on the part of the population who needed it the most. Regional leaders of the Lega, a party that tried to criminalize NGOs helping migrants, desperately called for the help of volunteer doctors working for the same organizations, due to lack of health personnel.

In the face of an enemy that does not belong to any race, ethnicity, color or creed, with the impossibility of labeling ‘us’ and ‘them,’ the relevance of populist discourse is slowly withering, giving way to extraordinary displays of solidarity in a country historically known for its regionalist disputes.

With the social campaign #iorestoacasa (I’m staying at home), everyone understood their responsibility in social distancing, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the wider community, particularly those at a higher risk, and above all the doctors and nurses fighting the real battle.

We are learning to act as a society, putting our fellow citizens’ right to life before our individual freedom of movement. In an age marked by rampant individualism promoted as a virtue, we are rediscovering the significance of our duties to one another as members of a shared community.

On the other hand, international reactions to the dire situation in Italy has been a great shock to many. Countries such as Germany and France cold-bloodedly denied medical help and banned the export of medical gear abroad at a time when Italy needed it the most. As much of northern Europe retreating to its ‘fortress’ instincts and pushing the problem to its frontiers (a tendency that underpins the so-called ‘refugee crisis’), Italian society is by and large disillusioned by the lack of support from its European counterparts, exacerbated by shameless racist comments that Italians were using the epidemic as an excuse ‘to have a siesta.’

Euroscepticism has already been on the rise in Italy due to the ruthless measures imposed under austerity and the subsequent inertness of other EU-members to share the responsibility of incoming refugees, explaining the current success of the right-wing populism. One thing is for sure, Italy’s disappointment with the EU will intensify. The aftermath of the epidemic will demonstrate how it will be channeled politically speaking.

Scientific predictions are telling us the worst is yet to come. We are all deeply worried and saddened by the soaring numbers of sick, as we lose our loved ones without a chance to say goodbye. While other countries are finding their approach to tackling the pandemic, the Italian experience has shown us the importance of public health, of transparent governance the importance of acting as a community, and that in the face of great diversity, we share the same vulnerabilities. We are taking this time that we never had in our lives to reflect on our taken for granted privileges, our priorities, on kindness, and on the pillars of our humanity in an age of mobility.

Tomorrow when I open my window, I know that my neighbor will greet me, and we both will be sharing a single thought: “We are in this together, and when it ends, our sense of community will be stronger than ever.”

Ipek Demirsu is a doctoral researcher in Social Sciences at the University of Padova, working on the intersection of social movements, human rights, migration, and urban studies. She is also the author of the book Counterterrorism and the Prospects of Human Rights: Securitization of Difference and Dissent, published by Palgrave Macmillan.