This article describes the migratory experience of Merule, an undocumented Nigerian citizen living at the centre of two different but complementary rules regulating migration to Italy. He entered the country legally but fell into irregularity three years later. In 2020, he enrolled in a state-led regularisation programme. Merule’s situation uncovers some paradoxical effects of the Italian migration regime, which appear absurd to those stuck in it. First, the path to legal status demands informal or illegal practices and false declarations about one’s condition. Second, bureaucracy works as governance at a distance, exacerbating applicants’ suffering and anxiety. Third, a legal pathway designed to last only a few months results in a years-long wait, which places applicants in legal limbo with reduced space for individual agency.
Stuck in the Law: Migration, Paperwork and Absurdity in Milan, Italy
Pontiggia
2025-01-01
Abstract
This article describes the migratory experience of Merule, an undocumented Nigerian citizen living at the centre of two different but complementary rules regulating migration to Italy. He entered the country legally but fell into irregularity three years later. In 2020, he enrolled in a state-led regularisation programme. Merule’s situation uncovers some paradoxical effects of the Italian migration regime, which appear absurd to those stuck in it. First, the path to legal status demands informal or illegal practices and false declarations about one’s condition. Second, bureaucracy works as governance at a distance, exacerbating applicants’ suffering and anxiety. Third, a legal pathway designed to last only a few months results in a years-long wait, which places applicants in legal limbo with reduced space for individual agency.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
