1.1 Blurb of This Co-edited Book

This volume seeks to cover the overall Mediterranean regional dimension on migrations. The basic purpose is to provide a basis for future research synergies by showcasing a plurality of perspectives to and applications of Mediterranean Migrations. This provides a direct opportunity and a reflective invitation to think the Mediterranean as a category of analysis for migration studies, which involves both a regional approach to migration and as “scale thinking” of geo-political governance (Zapata-Barrero, 2022). This broad geographical scope, coupled with cross-cutting and inter-disciplinary contributions, as well as the key-fact that this volume seeks to integrate regional, national, and North-Eastern-South complementarities are the distinctive features of its focus. It links Mediterranean and Migration Studies by articulating three sub-regions (Southern Europe, Northern Africa and Middle East) or the so-called Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEM) countries in the EU parlance.

This Mediterranean scale of analysis (see special issue co-edited by Zapata-Barrero & Faustini, 2019) invites us to conduct most of our research findings towards a region-making process, detaching what is particular of this region of the world, but also what is common to migration and that we can also encounter in other regions. What is probably the most striking feature of this particular domain of research is that in the Mediterranean the mobility of people originates and may have effects in three continents at the same time. This makes it unique.

This volume aims to map and strengthen current research development trends from a multiplicity of disciplines and geographical angles (North and South, East and West). The main ambition is to offer a body of knowledge that responds to the quest of unifying the Mediterranean and recognizes the multiple historical socio-political economic and geopolitical relationships that unite the shores. Another main objective is to contribute to knowledge about past and current exchanges in the Mediterranean region, which should foster understanding and cooperation.

This collaborative book addresses a wide range of issues related to the Mediterranean migration research agenda, covering relevant areas and topics in five main parts, going from Geo-political Mediterranean Relations (Part I) and Governance, Policies and Politics (Part II), Taxonomies of Motion and Drivers (Part III), to Cities, History and Social Transformations (Part IV), and Economy and Labour Markets (Part V). By focusing on these multiple angles of the same reality, the volume could make a valuable contribution to migration studies, where the Mediterranean is probably one of the most studied areas, but still considered a weak category of analysis. This is probably one of the reasons why Eurocentrism and state-centrism, Western-centrism, are still deeply rooted in the political, policy, but also research spheres. If we want to contribute to the opening up of Mediterranean regional studies, we must necessarily question our positionality and adopt an epistemological multiple-perspectivism in defining problems, analysing them and envisaging possible future scenarios. The volume aims to articulate a systematic and accessible body of accumulated knowledge capable of developing a comprehensive regional understanding of migrations and related associated population movements in the Mediterranean.Footnote 1 As a handbook, this volume promotes the potential of migration and human mobility for the economic, environmental, cultural, political and social development of the Mediterranean, and succeeds in placing Mediterranean migration studies within the global migration agenda. It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the authors of the chapters are from Mediterranean countries, on the North, South and East shores of the sea.

Migrations in the Mediterranean will undoubtedly be of interest to a large number of scholars, both junior and senior researchers, as well as policy-makers and senior representatives of civil society organisations, international foundations and organisations. Given the variety of contributors in terms of background, geographical distribution, and multi-varied approaches, it should also be of particular interest to scholars working on the economics, politics, and international relations of the Mediterranean, and social scientists in general.

1.2 What This Book Is About: Main Themes and Objectives

Mediterranean and Migrations are probably two sides of the same coin. Migrations in the Mediterranean is as old as the spatial awareness of the Mediterranean. The movement of populations constitutes the bedrock of Mediterranean history. But patterns and dynamics of this mobility, political and governance reactions have changed over time. Cities, empires, colonial, economic, social and cultural relations of the past still shape current migratory and associated population movement patterns and the geopolitics of governance. Even if today, the views of these flows are mostly unipolar, from South to North, from East to West, reality illustrates that there are some new emerging trends that announce the multipolarity of human movement. These include the return of migrants, transnational relationships linking the shores of the Mediterranean, but also skilled and lifestyle migrants from North to South, from West to East. Different patterns of migration and associated population movements are emerging, and more traditional patterns are analysed within a mix of drivers.

Historically, commercial and religious factors have driven migrations between countries on the Southern Shores of the Mediterranean. For instance, pilgrims from the Maghreb settled in Egypt on their way to or during return from Mecca. Migration also accompanied or was an outcome of colonial enterprises in the Maghreb countries. From Europe, especially Italy and Greece, migrants sought jobs in Egypt or participated in its modernization in the second half of the nineteenth century and first half the twentieth. Factors driving migrations and associated population movements in the Mediterranean today can be mixed: demographics, employment, integration, human rights infringement, instability of governments, climate change and environmental pressures, lifestyle, etc. Employment, specifically youth employment, is a challenge within Mediterranean countries, to the North, East and to the South and constitutes a distinctive feature of the Mediterranean regional system in the third decade of the twenty-first century. These economic, political, cultural and social factors are in need of scientific research, fostering a multidisciplinary debate while avoiding explicit or subtle Euro- and Western-centrism. There is a need to articulate a regional approach, incorporating a multiplicity of perspectives and understandings of the same phenomenon. The mixture of population movements, together with climate change-induced migration are also new drivers of contemporary Mediterranean Migration, as well as different geo-politics of migrations that arise from European Union and European States and other Southern and Eastern states’ interest.

The complexity of relations, the uncertainty of political circumstances and the diversity of social regimes around the Mediterranean require a regional approach, while linking the past with the present. There is a need to decolonise the Mediterranean by addressing the current tragic situations of migrant deaths in its waters, but also the blind spots, the amnesias, the silences and the politically constructed ruptures with a past that is still present through migratory and related population movements.

The main ambition of these 25 contributions is to provide a body of knowledge that responds to the quest of unifying the Mediterranean rather than dividing it and recognises the multiple historical socio political economic and geopolitical relationships that unite the shores. To contribute to knowledge about past and current exchanges in the Mediterranean region, which should foster understanding and cooperation, is also our objective.

1.3 The Mediterranean Scale: Scope of Migration Studies and Current Research Agenda

The Mediterranean scale of analysis is key in defining the scope of all the contributions. It invites us to disentangle what is specific to this region of the world, but also what is common to migrations and what we may encounter in other regions, and to direct most of the research findings towards a region-making process. It is true, for example, that the multi-scale nature of migrations in the Mediterranean, its unpredictability and its complexity are general characteristics of international migration in all regions. In the Mediterranean, however, migrations originate and can have an impact on three continents at the same time. This makes it unique. The Mediterranean is where three continents meet, but it is also considered the most diasporic region in the world (Gallant, 2016; 205), it remains the least peaceful region in the world (Global Peace Index, 2018) and by far the deadliest zone in the world (number of deaths in attempts to cross the Mediterranean) (latest UNHCR and IOM reports). The Mediterranean is probably also where activism, despite its criminalisation, plays a crucial role in saving lives, but also in shattering consciences and reconfiguring current power relations between and within states.

This volume seeks to map the current research agenda on Mediterranean migration by selecting current innovative perspectives and approaches with promising avenues for further research. It has brought together a community of scholars who are already contributing to the development of this field of research from all shores of the Mediterranean and beyond. The chapters address some of the most pressing issues in the field through both comparative analysis and case studies. The diversity of the authors’ disciplines enriches the unity of this co-edited book. This results in a great richness in terms of disciplines, theoretical perspectives, topics and methodologies.

As co-editors, our premise is that, despite the existence of a burgeoning literature, this field is dispersed and unarticulated between the Mediterranean Studies and Migration Studies. The main scholarly purpose of Migrations in the Mediterranean is then twofold: The first is to provide a comprehensive representation of the body of knowledge that has accumulated in the last two decades of the twenty-first century. The second, and probably as a result of the first, it is to leave open this new research agenda on Mediterranean migrations for the coming years. In other words, this volume aims to encourage the reader to think carefully about where and with whom most of our knowledge comes from and consequently informs politics and society. And who can use and benefit from this production of knowledge.

The general horizon is to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge and data and to find exploratory ways to reduce the gap between research findings and knowledge, public opinion and policies. In line with this rationale, we asked the contributors to both take a critical look at the current state of the art on Mediterranean migrations and to prioritise innovative ways of sources and knowledge production. That is, to give voice to what is most of the time silenced and/or excluded from mainstream narratives and practices. We then asked all contributors to engage substantively with Mediterranean migration studies in order to help shape this particular regional field of migration studies.

We have asked all the contributors to end their chapters with some final thoughts on how their own arguments and findings can contribute to the shaping of the Mediterranean region in terms of economic, political, social and cultural identity, and even in terms of shared values.

1.4 Summary: Main Objectives and the Rationale of the Edited Book and Basic Areas Covered

We can summarize the objectives following four broad principles: (1) To articulate a systematic, shared, innovative and accessible accumulated corpus of knowledge, capable of developing a comprehensive regional understanding of Migrations and associated population movements in the Mediterranean; (2) To encourage knowledge exchange between senior and young researchers of both sides of the Mediterranean, and of scholars working on Mediterranean Migrations and associated population movements all over the world; (3) To promote the potentialities of Migrations and Human Mobilities for the economic, environmental, cultural, political, and social development of the Mediterranean.; (4) To place Mediterranean Migration Studies within the Global Migration Agenda.

In the last few years, the Mediterranean gained more and more relevance in European and migration studies and, currently, it is a regional focal point where several types of large-scale human displacement converge. This is a multi-scalar (global and local) challenge with major effects on origin/transit/destination countries, border/integration/ diversity policies, and geopolitical strategies. Indeed, if we review the recent European policy agenda on Mediterranean Migrations and associated population movements the keywords identified would probably be unpredictability, complexity, and also lack of evidence-based narratives and policies on current migration dynamics and governance systems.

There is a paradox that, despite the great importance of migrations and associated population movements in the Mediterranean region, a volume tackling that specific research agenda does not still exist. Academic, social and political demands should be better substantiated by covering all the geographical area through a complete focus on Mediterranean Migrations, promoting multi-sited and comparative research, multi-level analysis, and intersectional studies.

This co-edited book is pioneer in this initiative contributing to develop an understanding of the migration dynamics, addressing taxonomies of motion and the diverse manifestations of human mobility, the drivers of migration and their interdependence, while also maximising its benefits to the Mediterranean area and coping policy mechanisms at origin and destination.

What encourage us is to frame this focus through different parts and chapters that may be innovative and may feature the historical Mediterranean time. The general aim is to illustrate the significance of the regional dimension of migrations through the research on the drivers, means and causes of migration dynamics and migration systems. This main goal will allow going a step further by promoting research dissemination contributing to a comprehensive understanding of current research agenda challenges.