Hotspot System in Italy: Politics of Refusal against the Economic Migrants and their Effects

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the aporias in the institutional discourse regarding the strategies of reception-refoulement of asylum seekers in Italy. First, it will analyze the evolution of the institutional discourse on security in recent years through a reflection on some aspects of the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention of 1985 (Dublion I, II and III) and “Regimes of Mobility” (Glick Schiller & Salazar, 2013). Secondly, we will try to show that economic migrants, who are rejects according to “Hotspot system” and now to the decree “Minniti”, are often found them in severe distress conditions and in absolute inability to return to their countries. Refugees that circumvent the controls and remain in Italy, become victims from market of labor exploitation by pimps or become beggars and homeless. It seems evident as the identification and selection mechanisms in place within the “crisis points” (hotspots) confirms how are based on preventive exclusion criteria for many refugees from system of international protection. Exclusion facilitated by some Organizations and Institutions that are legitimately operating in the EU. The paper describes three aspects of phenomenon of refugees/asylum seekers cannot be reconciled in a coherent analysis of “doing Europe” and a unique in- terpretation. Furthemore, it outlines and discusses the strategies of “first asylum” provided at the Hotspot, especially when migrants show signs of physical violence or beatings.