High stakes and hidden traps. Migration industry, risks of deception, and legal status precarity in the lottery of the Decreto flussi

The paper examines the development of a migration industry in Italy, focusing specifically on the role of private intermediaries in handling procedures for obtaining work visas or residence permits. Based on semi-structured interviews and digital observation of social networks, the paper explores the implementation of the labor migration policy based on annual quotas known as «decreto flussi». It also highlights the role of non-state commercial actors who exploit opportunities for profit from related bureaucratic and administrative procedures. The paper demonstrates how the structural characteristics of this system – particularly its complexity, selectivity, uncertainty, and temporality – create favorable conditions for deception, fraud, exploitation, and the legal status precarity of migrants.