The relationship between pro-migrant civil society organisations and local authorities in Italy. An analysis of the case of Rome

Italy is a country of recent immigration and its migration and integration legal framework is consequently still very weak. In Rome, civil society organisations have gradually become key actors in the coordination and implementation of social services for the migrants. As a result, the relationship between public institutions and CSOs has been characterised by a complex mix of devolution, utilitarianism, confl ict and corruption. The latter phenomenon, in particular, has undermined the credibility of both municipal civil servants and pro-migrant organisations, in spite of the high level of professionalism of many organisations operating in the Italian capital. The Roman case, therefore, seems to prove that civil society organisations and public institutions do not always manage to develop a positive and mutual enhancing relationship.