Overview

This book examines the various ways in which policymakers and political actors across different governmental levels have responded to the recent European refugee crisis, and the effects of these responses. Whereas previous studies have often focused on the discourses and policies implemented by national and local governments, this book shifts the focus to knowledge-formation and decision-making processes. Drawing on evidence from Italy – a country that has been centrally affected by the refugee crisis – the book examines policy processes regarding asylum-seeking migration at sub-national, national and EU level. It argues that policymakers at all levels of government can be influenced by perceptions of public attitudes towards immigration, and that these perceptions are often divorced from objective evidence. The book will appeal to all those interested in multilevel governance, migration studies, public policy, and European politics.