Internal and international migration in Italy. An integrating approach based on administrative data

Despite growing calls for an integrated approach, the long-standing separation between internal and international migration in the socio-demographic literature still persist, hindering a more general perspective on mobility proneness. This article attempts to further develop an integrated analysis of migration in Italy by making use of official data. Specifically, internal and international migration are examined within a single framework in order to reveal elements for discussion relating to the overall level of mobility in Italy in the last decades and the propensity to experience multiple episodes of migration, both internal and international. Empirical analysis does not suggest the presence of a compensation effect (international mobility increasing when internal mobility decreased and vice versa) as there has been an increase both in domestic and international mobility up to the crisis and a concomitant decrease thereafter. We also found evidence that those who have already experienced a migration show a higher propensity to migrate again, both internally and abroad, but the long-range internal migration of southerners does not seem to be a precursor to international migration.