Highly skilled international labour migration: a qualitative study of Italian and Moroccan migrant professionals in the United States ​

Globalization has created a complex system of relational networks and formal institutions that support migratory flows and facilitate mobility, the movement of human capital, while increasing the competitiveness of states. Within this framework, the high-skilled migrant, usually described as a highly mobile person, became the metaphor of the desirable or wanted migrant. The freedom of the state to define who belongs to this category reveals economic and political interests and thus a lack of neutrality. Knowing the selection criteria of different states allows us to analyse the situation and reveal power relations. In many industrialized countries, the resources devoted to innovation processes have proven crucial to developing and maintaining competitiveness. The United States, among other countries, has maintained its status as a "nation of immigrants" over time. Despite the emergence of new migration trends and the entry of new actors, mainly as a result of globalization, the nation still occupies a central position. Recent U.S. migration policies therefore generate effects that can influence not only the quantity and quality of migrants selected, but also their integration into the host society. This project examines the impact of U.S. policies on the socio-economic integration of migrants. Two case studies will be prioritized, those of Italian and Moroccan migrants. Both countries have an important and significant history of migration and face the problem of brain drain. Through the analysis of secondary data and interviews with Italian and Moroccan migrants, the research aims to contribute to the literature on the subject: it attempts to bring together in a single paper the insights and knowledge gained over the course of a year on a reality such as the United States, which is strongly oriented towards attracting the "right" migrants; where the economic interests of the host and sending countries under consideration, Italy and Morocco, meet and clash; and where the strong competition resulting from recent migration policies affects the lives of migrants. The results of the study allow us to appreciate the uniqueness of migration experiences that are often described in purely economic terms. ​