Drifting, Falling and Recovering. Mobility Trajectories and Experiences of Marginalization on the Border of the city of Como

Journal title MONDI MIGRANTI
Author/s Samuele Davide Molli
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 25 P. 63-87 File size 212 KB
DOI 10.3280/MM2026-001004
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This article contributes to the sociological debate on the nexus between migration and homelessness through a case study focused on the city of Como, a strategic crossroads for new and diverse trajectories of mobility. Methodologically, the research triangulates multiple data sources and is based on a prolonged ethnographical analysis conducted within an emergency shelter and at the main nodes of local services. First, the paper examines the tension between expulsive and aphorophobic municipal policies and the resilience of a grassroots solidarity network, highlighting the polarization between the creation of the city’s brand and the urban dimension of marginalization. Subsequently, the article explores the condition of homelessness among immigrants, discussing a typology of seven profiles, aiming to grasp the heterogeneity of the various forms of housing deprivation. The research thus highlights the transformation of the link between migration and marginality which, although observed through the specific lens of the Como border, reflects broader and deeper dynamics. Homelessness is not a static condition, but rather a hybrid and transitory experience, fueled by the uncertainty of legal status and the fragility of social ties and institutional networks. What emerges is a scenario where falls and ascents intertwine within a border context, a mirror of how the increasing stratification of migratory paths links to new and complex processes of exclusion and marginalization.

Keywords: homelessness; poverty; social exclusion; Como; border studies.

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Samuele Davide Molli, Derive, cadute e risalite. Traiettorie di mobilità e vissuti di marginalità sul confine della città di Como in "MONDI MIGRANTI" 1/2026, pp 63-87, DOI: 10.3280/MM2026-001004