ABSTRACT
Young adult immigrants’ experiences of inclusion, exclusion, success and marginalization within Italian society occur in a very fragmented socio-political, cultural and economic panorama. On the one hand, the looseness of the Italian political, juridical and social system offers immigrants good chances to make a living even without legal resident status. On the other hand, the lack of an adequate welfare system makes Italy a difficult place to seek a secure future. In fact, unlike other EU countries, it seems quite easy to enter Italy, while it appears more difficult to have an easy life in the receiving local contexts of Italian society. Many causes contribute to this particular situation. Italy has a geographic position that is highly exposed to many different migration flows and trajectories. At the same time, Italy has never had a consistent colonization history. This fact, along with poor organization of immigration policies, has generated a condition of status quo, in which individual and collective abilities, strategies and forms of socio-cultural and economic entrepreneurship become relevant in making the migration process succeed or fail.
