Beyond the Factory Gates: Accommodation and Co-ethnic Network Control over Bangladeshi Shipyard Workers in Italy

Abstract Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among Bangladeshi migrant workers employed at the Fincantieri shipyards in Italy, the paper examines their housing arrangements, namely the common practice of sharing flats with other Bangladeshi workers or supervisors and, in some cases, their families. In particular, the paper explores the functions these living arrangements serve, how they contribute to managing labour turnover and the role of co-ethnic networks and supervisors (who also act as landlords) in the organisation of employment, housing, and recruitment. Building on the literature on Dormitory Labour Regimes and migrant co-ethnic networks, we argue that these accommodations function as a specific housing–labour regime contributing to (1) managing labour turnover by combining mobility and immobility; (2) containing social reproduction costs by reducing housing expenses, externalising care to families in Bangladesh, and delegating domestic labour to women—often the supervisors’ wives—in some households; and (3) disciplining workers through moral norms, surveillance, and the threat of eviction or contract non-renewal. Therefore, while co-ethnic networks provide access to employment, housing, and emotional support, they also serve as conduits for paternalistic and ambivalent forms of control aligned with the company’s interests in securing a compliant and flexible workforce. In conclusion, the paper contributes to the literature on Dormitory Labour Regimes by foregrounding the pivotal role of co-ethnic networks and intermediaries in extending control beyond the factory gates, regulating not only working time but also everyday practices, mobility, and social life.