The impact of immigration policies on transnational filipino immigrant women: A Comparison of their social and spatial incorporation in Rome and Toronto

This article examines how different immigration policies and practices have influenced transnational Filipino immigrant women who chose Italy and Canada as their country of destination. The article focuses specifically on how the different immigration policies and practices have influenced the degree of incorporation of Filipino immigrant women into the social and spatial structure of the two metropolitan areas of Rome and Toronto. Data to assess the extent of incorporation were obtained from government policies and census reports. The spatial structure was analyzed by determining the level of residential segregation of the Filipino population from the majority population. The results show that one country (Canada) provides a greater avenue for social mobility, permanent residence, and citizenship than the other (Italy). Immigration policy remains one of the most important factors in understanding transnational migration. © 2011 SAGE Publications.