‘Iron Rod’ or ‘Colander’? Welfare Regimes in England and Italy

Abstract

This chapter explores core differences in how young people experienced the asylum/immigration and social care nexus in Italy and the United Kingdom. Both systems had intrinsic advantages and inadequacies that created different kinds of opportunities for individuals at different points in their migration journeys. Of most significance is the fact that the two countries' immigration and welfare regimes differed so substantially in the first place. This finding challenges the notion of a common European asylum system, and common standards across the European Union (EU) for upholding the rights of unaccompanied minors and children more broadly. The experiences of the young people in the study also challenge several assumptions regarding the traditional welfare regime typologies that have been used by some to account for differences in support provision between EU member states.