Asylum at work. Humanitarian exploitation, racial capitalism and productive reconfigurations in the aftermath of the 2015 “refugee crisis”

This contribution reflects on empirical findings gathered through an ethnographic project carried out in Bologna, the capital city of Emilia Romagna region, Northern Italy. By unveiling the “asylum-logistics” nexus at the Interporto Bologna, a critical intermodal centre within the European logistical infrastructure, I emphasise the role of asylum in reproducing surplus racialised labour, which is particularly befitting in meeting the “just-in-time” imperative characterizing contemporary neoliberal capitalism. Overall, this chapter excavates the role of asylum in favouring the racialization of labour.