Introduction

The theme of migrations towards Europe plays an increasingly central role in international political debate, and the defence of borders – both national and European Union – is increasingly frequently offered as a defence of not always clearly specified European values. Once again, therefore, an interpretation is given in which contemporary Europe exists regardless of and, in a certain sense, in juxtaposition to migrations and the presence of immigrants. This narrative has been exacerbated further since 2015. The migratory crisis has been handled badly by the European Union and in many of the member states the topic of migration has been and still is the focus of what, to all intents and purposes, is a fear strategy that helps the many sovereign political parties that exist on the continent. A fear of immigrants has led to a sentiment of exclusion that has endured the passing of time and change and has called into question the multicultural model adopted by the process of European integration. This book aims to elaborate on and historicise both internal and external mobility, reconstructing the stages and analysing how it was and still is closely connected to the formation and refoundation of Europe after the Second World War. In fact, despite being aware that inward migratory movements have been a feature of the history of the continent since long before, the book focuses on the period from the late 1940s and early 1950s: in other words, from that period when Europe was forced to rethink and rebuild itself from several points of view.