I-Claim
I-CLAIM aims to investigate the living and working conditions of undocumented migrants in six European countries.
The project investigates the living and working conditions of irregularised migrant households in Europe from an intersectional perspective. It aims to reveal the spectrum of irregularity in contemporary Europe and cast light on the everyday experiences of migrants with irregular, unstable and/or precarious legal status.
I-CLAIM develops the concept of ‘irregularity assemblages’ to capture how migrants’ ‘irregular condition’ is produced by the interplay of immigration and asylum laws, policies and practice, wider labour market and welfare regimes, and political, media and public narratives. The irregular condition is shaped by migrants’ social position and positionality as well as by processes that occur at international, European, regional and local levels. This approach will inform our theoretical understanding, methodology and analytical framework and how the consortium organises its work. Moreover, it enables us to design, assess and validate detailed policy options and public interventions targeted at place-specific, sectoral, and intersectional criticalities and vulnerabilities experienced by a range of people in irregular situations in Europe.
To achieve its overarching ambition, we will engage at all stages of the project cycle with relevant European, national, local and sectoral actors in six countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, The Netherland, Poland and the UK) through Country Stakeholder Groups (CSG) and a European Stakeholder Group (EISG). Moreover, we will organise a series of consultative and participatory initiatives to produce new knowledge, inform public and political debate, validate key research findings, and design policy recommendations.
Outcomes
- Generate new knowledge on the conditions and vulnerabilities of irregularised migrants in Europe. – I-CLAIM introduces a novel conceptual framework called “irregularity assemblages” to analyse commonalities and differences in the experiences and needs of migrants with precarious legal status, as well as the factors shaping them.
- Improve the governance of irregular migration in Europe. – I-CLAIM examines the interplay between immigration and asylum policies, labour markets, and welfare regimes at the international, European, and state levels. Rather than viewing irregular migration in isolation, the project considers its interdependence with other policy domains and regulatory regimes.
- Change the dominant narrative on irregular migration. – Drawing on the analysis of narrative and counter-narratives on irregular migration, as well as survey experiments aimed at gauging public attitudes and perceptions, I-CLAIM proposes practical interventions to address public misconceptions and build support for policy measures aimed at improving access to fundamental rights, services, and protections for irregularised migrants.
- Propose policy measures and public interventions to improve the living conditions of migrants with precarious legal status in Europe. – I-CLAIM aims to develop policy options targeting various policy stakeholders and addressing various protection risks and intersectional vulnerabilities.
- Develop policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the working conditions of migrant workers in critical sectors of the labour market. – I-CLAIM provides a nuanced understanding of the working conditions experienced by migrants, the role of irregularity in these sectors, and the strategies and tactics employed by trade unions, migrants’ rights activists, and migrants themselves to challenge exploitation practices and abuse.
Read more about the project here.
Funder:
European Commission and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Partners:
Utrecht University, University of Birmingham, Ca’Foscari University, Catholic University of Applied Sciences Mainz, Centre for European Policy Studies, University of Helsinki, University of Warsaw, European Network Against Racism, European Trade Union Confederation, ActionAid Italy, Association for Legal Intervention, Catholic Forum “Living in Illegality”, Deaconess Foundation, Fair Work, Joint Council for the Welfare of Migrants, Centrala