La dimensione economica del fenomeno migratorio. Alcune riflessioni

Migration phenomena are part of the history of human evolution and have been an integral part of the lives of many populations: permanent settlement was not a universal way of life. We would like to discuss the forces that have been powerful enough to push people to uproot themselves permanently. The causes of international migration stem from population density, national labour supply exceeding demand, different levels of industrial and agricultural development, and changes in the environmental and socio-economic context in which communities live. In addition, natural disasters, wars and conflicts, environmental degradation and climate change, long and deep famines and economic crises underlie the current waves of migration. These changes have driven and continue to drive families and workers to seek better living conditions and job opportunities abroad. This contribution will summarise some of the main economic theorisations that have recently gained some attention and, on this occasion, attention will be focused on the Italian case and the role of international migration on Italian GDP