By Maurizio Ambrosini, University of Milan

Even though contemporary migrations are transnational processes, studies of migration are most often focused on a single country, especially receiving countries that question regulations for entry and the social integration of new residents. International comparison and the exchange of knowledge is, however, extremely important, both to help us better understand the phenomena surrounding migration and to contribute to a better management of them. From the point of view of one country – Italy – which has only recently joined the scholarly community of research on international migration, it is even more important to participate in dialogue with and to take lessons from the experience of countries that have a longer tradition of research and management of migratory processes. I, thus, participated with great interest in NYU’s Transatlantic Dialogue on Migration. I was both curious and fascinated: one, for the opportunity to interact with esteemed American scholars on the subject, two, for the interdisciplinary perspective it adopted – in which sociology, political science, law, economics and other disciplines entered into dialogue – three, for the exchange with the European University Institute, four, for the place given to local political actors and practitioners specialized in welcoming and integrating migrants. The impeccable organization, unique setting and excellent staff contributed to the event’s success. I think the lessons to be taken from the conference can be reduced to three key points:

• a complex theme like migration must be addressed in an interdisciplinary optic, weaving together different knowledge and points of view
• comparison and exchange between the two sides of the Atlantic has great potential for reciprocal enrichment.
• it is essential that scientific research and political action dialogue with one another, while recognizing the respective roles of each.

It seems to me that last March’s meeting could be seen as the beginning of an exchange that should be built upon and that I hope could become permanent: a recurrent meeting that would allow us to compare our respective findings and the questions our research raises for us. As is widely known, immigration is a very controversial issue in contemporary Italian politics. It is treated with a very ideological approach, principally oriented towards security concerns. Hostile rhetoric towards our new residents dominates the discourse in institutional bodies, both national and local. A serious knowledge of the issue of immigration, freed from simplistic polemics, would represent an antidote against the poison of prejudice, simplification and xenophobic impulses.