Caltanissetta and the Border Regime: Perceived Detention in Asylum Seekers Reception System

This thesis investigates the experiences of asylum seekers in Caltanissetta, Sicily, focusing on their perception of being detained within the Pian del Lago reception centre. Situated in a historical context where south-to-north migration is primarily managed through political asylum, European border policies aim to limit mobility and social inclusion for those who arrive. Drawing on ethnographic data, the thesis explores the interplay between the transnational European border regime, national asylum policies, and the local reception and expulsion systems in Caltanissetta. While the physical limitations of accessing the Pian del Lago center presented a challenge, it also offered a unique opportunity to analyze the "city-migrant nexus" in the Italian context. The focus on perceived detention extends beyond the center's walls, examining how it shapes the relationship between asylum seekers and the urban space of Caltanissetta. The thesis unfolds in three chapters. The first establishes the theoretical and geographical context, examining border regime operations and how Caltanissetta became a central border hub. It explores the reasons behind the invisibility of both the city and the reception centre, along with the processes that construct asylum seekers as "illegal vulnerable aliens." This chapter lays bare the complex system riddled with moral and political contradictions.The second chapter delves into the Caltanissetta context through ethnographic observations. Here, the research explores the dimensions of perceived detention within the Pian del Lago center. It examines the dynamics between various actors within the center and how these dynamics connect to the city. Furthermore, it analyzes how deportability is produced in a city where reception and repatriation functions co-exist within the Pian del Lago center. The third chapter undertakes a critical analysis of the ethnographic experience both in the field and in the desk, necessitating a self-reflexive approach. This chapter reflects on the researcher's personal and political background, along with the deployed research tools and methods. It explores the challenges of no-border activism within militant ethnography and seeks to contribute to ongoing debates on how to confront the violence inherent in the border regime and migrant centres.