Österreichisches Jahrbuch für Soziale Arbeit

The Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Italy: A Case of a New Total Institution?

Zusammenfassung

This article offers a critical reflection on the Italian reception system for asylum seekers and refugees, assessing how and to what extent it differs from “total institutions†. More specifically, the article focuses on ordinary reception centres (SPRARs) and emergency centres (CASs) in order to explore their organizational and structural aspects, as well as the staff involved. The first section provides an updated overview of the regulatory framework of the reception system between 2015 and 2018. We also present an analysis of the CAS tendering procedures published by the Prefetture of Florence, Siena and Arezzo. The second section focuses on the relation between “reception centre operators† and hosts. This reflection arises from qualitative research conducted in the metropolitan area of Florence in 2018. It included in-depth interviews with the head of the Central Service and four CAS facility contractors. In addition, we carried out participant observation in one centre. The study asked whether and how different reception standards between the SPRAR and the CAS system influence the type of day-to-day reception that they offer.