The Effect of Covid-19 'Furlough' Scheme on Italian Skilled Migrants in Britain

Inclusive and Nonhostile Policies Improve Market Integration and Skills Match

Bibliographic Data

ID3759342
AuthorsAudrey Lumley-Sapanski (0000-0002-4217-1719, Colorado Mesa University, corresponding author), Dotsey (0000-0002-2164-1734, Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), University of Turin, Italy), Manlio Cinalli (University of Milan)
Year2025
Publication date2025-09-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Behavioral Scientist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7642 • E-ISSN: 1552-3381
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00027642251367534
OpenAlexW4414516004
LanguageEN
References cited36

The role of the ethnic economy in immigrant arrival and adaptation has been studied extensively with regard to unskilled or low-skilled migrants. However, their role and function for skilled migrants is less well understood. This research explores the use of ethnic economies for 20 Italian skilled migrants in Britain during the cost-of-living crisis (2021-2022). Our research offers two key insights. First, we find that skilled migrants utilize the ethnic economy within London to secure housing and employment. In line with experiences of low-skilled laborers, skilled migrants are limited in their ability to improve their economic or social position due to employment conditions. Yet, we find their dependence on the ethnic economy in this case was undone by the unusual extension of social welfare during COVID-19 to migrants. The British government provided furlough-80% payment in lieu of working-to all eligible workers in the country. This contravenes their normal 'hostile environment' policies toward migrants, which exclude them from accessing public funds. Their inclusion in this program allowed Italian skilled migrants the time necessary to invest in capital acquisition through education and network building. This was, in turn, leveraged into better-paying work that matched their skills outside the ethnic economy

Ethnic group · Government (linguistics) · Immigration · Inclusion (mineral) · Payment · Position (finance) · Social capital · Social integration · Welfare · Work (physics) · Employment and Welfare Studies · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

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