Mediterranean migration and the language of crisis: an Italian case study

Abstract

Despite divergence in policy response, EU Member States seems to agree that the migratory inflow they are currently experiencing is ‘a crisis’ of unprecedented scale (Pallister-Wilkins, 2016). Italy is among the EU Member States most focused on framing the issue in terms of ‘crisis’. This vocabulary did not occur randomly, but it is the outcome of a political process aimed at pursuing the domestic and foreign policy goals of the Italian government (Campesi, 2011). For example, reference to a ‘crisis’ can be seen as a way to reassure the Italian public that the migratory inflow is only temporary and will not restructure the Italian social fabric. Further, the need for ‘emergency’ public spending to face the‘crisis’ can help Italy in justifying a not-so-righteous fiscal policy (Campesi, 2011).