The importance of being recognized as workers. Irregular immigrants and the access to the Italian welfare state

This article intends to analyse the access to Italian welfare state by irregular immigrants, from point of view of working insertion. In particular, it attempts to identify the main mechanisms regulating the integration paths of irregular immigrants into the domain of social protection and citizenship rights. It analyses the inclusion processes of irregular immigrants into welfare system, starting from the scrutiny of literature on immigration policies. The mechanisms incorporating irregular immigrants into the Italian welfare system will be investigated by i) identifying the paths that immigrants can undertake, or have undertaken, to move from an irregular to a regular legal status; ii) the set of rights and services associated with different status positions; and iii) outlining the criteria and mechanisms regulating these transitions.