Alpine refugees. Immigration at the heart of Europe.

Editors: Manfred Perlik, Giulia Galera, Ingrid Machold, Andrea Membretti

This collection of essays highlights how specific Alpine territories in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland are currently coping with the challenges imposed by migration, the barriers and limitations they face, and the extent to which migration triggers political and territorial innovations that can generate positive impacts for both migrants and locals.

Contributors include professionals and social workers who have pioneered innovative pathways to reception and integration, as well as researchers with diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including geographers, sociologists, political scientists, social anthropologists, economists, and legal experts. The book is based on empirical and theoretical investigations, action research implemented in major EU projects, and exploratory case studies and histories of welcoming initiatives. It is aimed at practitioners, social scientists, and policymakers interested in understanding the factors that influence the exclusion and inclusion of migrants in Alpine territories and in developing win-win reception and integration initiatives when hosting asylum seekers in mountainous areas.