Project description
Migrant sex work, law and politics in Italy
Migrant sex workers are at the intersection of shifting migration policies, criminal law and stigmatising public narratives, yet their lived experiences and perspectives remain largely overlooked in research and policymaking. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SWAG project examines how changes in migration law and morality politics have reshaped sex markets and influenced public and political debates in Italy. Focusing on a country that rapidly shifted from having no immigration law in 1990 to criminalising undocumented residency in 2008, the project highlights trends that have since spread across many EU Member States. By engaging with sex workers as co-producers of knowledge, SWAG aims to produce research for inclusive policymaking while advancing participatory research approaches.
Objective
SWAG addresses a critical gap in migration and sex work research by analyzing how laws, public discourses, and EU policies affect the experiences and political agency of migrant sex workers. Focusing on Italy (1990-2020s) as a key entry point to Europe, this project shows how changes in migration law and morality politics have reshaped sex markets and influenced public and political debates in Italy. Italy is a critical case because it shifted rapidly from having no immigration law (1990) to criminalizing “illegal entry and stay” (2008), anticipating developments and trends that have since affected many EU member states.
The project has three goals: O1: Analyse how changes in Italian immigration and criminal law have affected sex markets and migrant workers; O2: Build a framework to understand how morality politics and dominant narratives on sex work and migration influence public debate and policymaking; O3: Work directly with sex workers and stakeholders through participatory workshops to co-produce a white paper with policy recommendations for Italy and the EU. By treating sex workers as knowledge-producers rather than research subjects, SWAG challenges the systematic undervaluing of their perspectives in both scholarship and policymaking. Therefore, the project will generate evidence for more inclusive European social policies while advancing participatory research methods. For the researcher, SWAG provides advanced training in socio-historical analysis, participatory design, and policy engagement, building a unique profile at the crossroads of critical migration studies and public policy. The collaboration with the host institution (UNIPR), the University of Essex (academic secondment), and MiT (intersectoral secondment) ensures both academic excellence and real-world policy impact.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences political sciences political policies public policies
- social sciences sociology demography human migrations
- social sciences law
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
43121 PARMA
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.