Simone Cremaschi Awarded for His PhD Dissertation

Simone Cremaschi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Bocconi Dondena Centre, received the Maria Baganha Award 2021 by International Migration Research Network (IMISCOE) for his PhD dissertation, Sheltered: Life and Work in Italy's Immigrant Ghettos.

In his dissertation, Cremaschi gives an insider's perspective on the mechanisms sustaining the parallel society created by marginalized West African farmworkers in Italy. The study debunks widely held beliefs about the shantytowns known as 'ghettos' and sheds new light on the role of illegal immigrant brokers. According to Cremaschi, "the brokers known as 'caporali' play a crucial role in the agricultural labor market since they offer an underground market solution to the structural void left by the economic policies of this country."

The Maria Ioannis Baganha Distinguished Dissertation Award is awarded annually since 2010 by IMISCOE Research Network to stimulate and recognize excellent PhD research in the field of migration, integration and social cohesion in Europe.

IMISCOE is Europe's largest interdisciplinary research network in the field of migration, integration and diversity studies. The research network currently consists of 61 research institutes from almost all European countries and from various disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, law, demography, public administration, social geography, and history.