Assessing the Vulnerability of Refugees and Asylum seekers in Italy
9-10 October 2025, Palermo, Italy
Complesso Monumentale Sant'Antonino,
Piazza Sant’Antonino, 1
Palermo, Italy
This event presents the key findings of the AVRAI research project to the research community, public authorities and civil society. The workshop aims to foster interdisciplinary exchange (both within and beyond academia), enhancing our understanding of the vulnerabilities of refugees and asylum seekers.
The research team from the Universities of Palermo, Bologna, Milan and Calabria, will share the main results of the project, with special focus on ItRAS, the first national survey on refugees and asylum seekers in Italy. Innovative approaches to measuring multidimensional vulnerability -integrating demographic, social, and health perspectives- will also be presented.
Keynote lectures will be delivered by:
Silvia Loi (MPIDR, Germany)
Elisabeth Kraus (BiB, Germany)
Ben Wilson (University of Stockholm)
Ceri Oeppen (University of Sussex)
Maurizio Ambrosini (University of Milan)
The second research meeting of the AVRAI research group took place in Palermo on December 11, 2024. The event focused on presenting recent research developments and fostering collaborative discussion. As always, we successfully combined intense moments of scientific exchange with the warmth and simplicity of being together. A brainstorming session helped define the future directions of the project, marking an important step forward in AVRAI’s ongoing work.
Vite in fuga (Lives on the Run)
10 December 2024, Palermo, Italy
As part of its commitment to knowledge sharing and public engagement, the AVRAI research group held a joint outreach event in collaboration with Neodemos. The event brought together academics, NGO representatives, and key stakeholders to discuss and reflect on the vulnerability of refugees and asylum seekers. This occasion provided an opportunity to present and share the project’s initial findings, while also fostering an open dialogue around the key challenges and themes emerging from the research. By combining scientific insight with real-world perspectives, the event aimed to build stronger connections between research and practice in the field of migration and vulnerability.
Introduction and Welcome
Daria Mendola – University of Palermo
Marcantonio Ruisi – Director of the SEAS Department, University of Palermo
Speakers
Maurizio Ambrosini – University of Milan
The New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: A Step Backward in the Protection of Human Rights
Corrado Bonifazi – Neodemos and IRPPS-CNR
A World on the Move: Trends in Forced Migration Worldwide and in Italy
Daria Mendola – University of Palermo
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy: Living Conditions and Vulnerability
Antonina Albanese – CESIE
Migrants and Refugees and Their Paths Toward Independence: A Look at Palermo
Carmela Virga and Alessandra Governa – MSF (Doctors Without Borders)
Surviving Torture: Experiences of Vulnerability and Resilience in Palermo
Chair
Roberto Impicciatore – Neodemos and University of Bologna
15-16 November 2023 University of Palermo
The kick-off meeting of the AVRAI research project marked an important moment to align our goals and organize our collaborative work. The project team gathered to coordinate upcoming activities, review the commitments outlined in the project proposal, and allocate responsibilities among the local research units.
Professor Daria Mendola, the project coordinator, outlined the work plan for the next two years, providing guidance on how tasks will be managed and monitored. She also introduced the structure of the ongoing collaboration, which includes regular online meetings every two months and periodic in-person gatherings to foster dialogue and shared progress.
This meeting set the foundation for a productive and well-organized project implementation phase.
