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Immigration has introduced serious conflicts into European urban areas. The nature of these conflicts varies according to many factors: the countries of origin of immigrants, their cultural and religious heritage, the social and economic problems in the hosting countries. But it is also necessary to take into account the political culture of these countries, i.e. the way in which State, people and nation are regarded and the relationships between ethnicity, nationality and citizenship are conceived. It is not by chance that France has adopted a policy of integration through cultural assimilation, the United Kingdom has practised a form of uneven pluralism emphasizing the role of ethnic communities and Germany has preferred a rotatory presence of «guest workers». Yet, all of these policies have failed owing to the important changes that have occurred both in the global context and in immigration itself. This paper analyzes what has happened in recent decades by taking into account the urban riots in England since the late '70s, the xenophobic attacks on immigrants in Germany after its reunification and the recurrent explosions in the French banlieues since the late '70s until the resounding events of November 2005. The last part concerns the case of Italy, which is still virtually unknown abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes contemporary migration processes, by focusing on the so-called 'second generation' in Europe and Italy. After a brief description of the different meanings attached to this definition, the article highlights some of the peculiar aspects of the Italian context and analyzes them. Italy has experienced immigration only recently in comparison to other European countries. In addition, in this country immigration is often discussed by politicians and the media as a process related only with the labour market. This makes it interesting to define some preliminary indicators and trends in relation to the presence of migrants' children in Italy. Through the analysis of statistical data and academic research, this article studies migration projects through the perspective of the 'second generation', to show this can provide an appropriate lens to understand migration trajectories in their full complexity. Additionally, this article encourages researchers to consider migration from this perspective, as it will be part of a long-term process which may be viewed, from an analytical perspective, as a trajectory, or rather as a multiplicity of potential trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the changes in the implementation of migration policies in Europe. The socio-economic structures and geographical placements have attracted immigrants towards Europe. The members of the European Union, in the 1980s, imposed many policies to prevent immigration. The restrictions affected the economic development and international relations of the European countries.