Framing Migration from the Border: A Relational Approach to Discursive Practices Around Migration in Trieste

This study examines how local actors in border zones engage with migration through collaborative, competitive, and conflicting discursive practices, viewing the border as both a physical and symbolic reference. It proposes the concept of a “relational field” to deepen the discussion on the discursive dimension of the “migration battleground” and to expand its conceptual scope. Focusing on Trieste, a key Italian border town at the end of the so-called Balkan route and a paradigmatic site in national debates on borders and identity, the research draws on extensive ethnographic fieldwork and document analysis. Using diagnostic and prognostic frameworks, it analyses the discursive practices of civil, social, and institutional actors, offering an in-depth portrait of the discourse on migration in Trieste. The study shows how relational processes position stakeholders across a complex discursive spectrum, challenging binary pro- and anti-migrant narratives and revealing unexpected points of convergence.