Regularizing irregular sojourners: the avenue of “deservingness”

Governments of the Global North, in general, have become more selective in accepting foreign immigrants. In particular, they have tightened their policies towards immigrants coming from the South of the world, and not endowed of a relevant economic or human capital. Furthermore, governments have restricted the possibilities of legally remaining on the territory, and therefore they have “illegalised” a number of immigrants. Irregular immigrants can be detained and deported, or socially excluded even if remaining on the territory. Notwithstanding, legal status of regular/ irregular residence is more a spectrum than a clear-cut divide. Grey areas, unclear situations, transit conditions thrive. Furthermore, irregular status is not always an indelible stigma: governments of democratic countries provide also some avenues for regularization of unauthorized immigrants. Regularization can be achieved through three main avenues: victimization (tears), liberal protection (distress), or deservingness, usually related to employment (sweat). This chapter will deepen one of these avenues, namely recognition of workers’ “deservingness”. It merits a special attention, as it is a case in which State authorities recognise what has occurred in the labour market, namely the matching between immigrants and local employers, households included. More than in the other avenues, here immigrants and their networks can display agency, by connecting with employers’ needs. The chapter will deepen the avenue of workers’ deservingness through analysing Italian policies in this field, focusing especially on the regularization program enacted in 2020, against the backdrop of the pandemic.