The Italian left and Italy's (evolving) foreign policy of immigration controls

Immigration has become a highly salient international issue over the last two decades with increased socio-economic and political significance. This led to the development of a wide range of policy measures that are aimed at either halting migrants from reaching Europe or deterring them from settling in their preferred countries of destination. Such externalization of border controls have profound effects on relations between countries. Drawing on qualitative data, the paper investigates how and with what effects the foreign policy of immigration controls have been developing in Italy, one of the frontline immigration countries of the EU which has been increasingly engaging with practices of ‘de-territorial cooperation on migration’. In particular, the imprint of left-wing parties on Italy's immigration policy developments is examined in order to gauge left-wing coalitions’ influence on the overall direction of the policies in this realm.