This podcast draws on new research to unpack the forces shaping migration flows and the political conflicts surrounding them—from policies and refugee crises to workforce dynamics and integration.
Dr. Comte hosts world-class thinkers, policymakers, and innovators to tackle the big questions of our time: Does mobility drive prosperity or conflicts? How do states manage human movement? What’s next for a world on the move?
Dr. Emmanuel Comte is a historian of human movement who has lived and worked as a researcher in nine countries and global metropoles from San Francisco to Cyprus.
#31 Migrant Women, Care Work, and Italy’s Broken Immigration System: A Conversation with Elena Bonetti
Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-31/ (https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-31/).
In this interview, former Italian Minister Elena Bonetti breaks down immigration policy in Italy—where migrant women fill vital domestic and eldercare roles but remain trapped in irregular work and legal limbo. Drawing on her experience under the Conte II and Draghi governments, Bonetti, who is currently a leading figure in the Renew Europe group in Parliament, reveals why Italy’s Decreto Flussi is failing, how the Bossi-Fini Law still shapes migrant precarity, and what it would take to shift toward a more effective immigration policy. We discuss care work, demographic trends, the informal economy, and regularization programs.
This interview was arranged by Lisa Sottanelli and edited by Andriana Lagoudes. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.
13 Sept 2025
#30 Irregular Workers and the Cost of Borders: The Pancyprian Farmers Union Speaks Out – with Christos Papapetrou
Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-30/ (https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-30/).
In Cyprus today, migrant workers—many undocumented—form the backbone of its agricultural economy. In this conversation, Emmanuel Comte speaks with Christos Papapetrou, General Secretary of the Pancyprian Farmers’ Union, about how irregular migration, EU border controls, and local labor shortages intersect in the fields and villages of the island. From smuggling routes across the buffer zone to migrants attracted by welfare benefits, the episode exposes how Cyprus’ agriculture increasingly depends on migrant labor. A vital listen on how immigration is reshaping the rural Mediterranean.
This interview was arranged and edited by Andriana Lagoudes. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.
9 Sept 2025
#29 Italy’s Migration Diplomacy: EU Borders, Tunisia Deals, and the Future of the Schengen System – with Maurizio Canfora
Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-29/.
As irregular arrivals test Europe’s southern border, Italy has stepped into a central role in shaping the EU’s migration policy. In this interview, Emmanuel Comte speaks with Maurizio Canfora, Italy’s Vice Minister Plenipotentiary and Director General for European Integration. Canfora offers an insider’s look at how Italy influences the EU Migration Pact, manages partnerships with Tunisia and Libya, and navigates border diplomacy amid rising geopolitical tension. Listeners will gain insight into Italy’s complex balancing act: safeguarding the Schengen zone, supplying its labor market, and curbing irregular migration through strategic cooperation. We explore Italy’s evolving stance on Frontex, the legal limits of maritime border control, and the country’s high-stakes engagement with France, Germany, and the European Commission. For anyone following Mediterranean migration, EU external relations, or the future of free movement in Europe, this episode is essential listening.
This interview was arranged by Lisa Sottanelli and edited by Andriana Lagoudes @andrianalagoudes (https://www.youtube.com/@andrianalagoudes). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.
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