Skip to main content
Top

2024 | Book

Social Entrepreneurship and Migrants' Inclusion

Insights from the Adriatic-Ionian Region

Editors: Stefano Bianchini, Federica Bandini, Daniela Bolzani

Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland

Book Series : Sustainable Development Goals Series

insite
SEARCH

About this book

This book offers theoretical and empirical contributions on the approaches, policies, practices concerning the inclusion of migrants through social entrepreneurship. Grounded in a multi-disciplinary approach and with a special focus on the Adriatic-Ionian region, the book offers a debate on the antecedents, processes and outcomes of social entrepreneurship and migrants’ inclusion, describing some innovative initiatives and their potential transferability in other contexts.

The Adriatic-Ionian macro-region represents an interesting yet overlooked area of research, characterized by evolving migration and inclusion policies, together with specific legislation and reforms for social entrepreneurship. The migration dynamics along the so-called Balkan Route confer to this macro-region strong political relevance in the field of security and migration management.

Contributing to the targets of SDG 8, the book contextualizes the opportunities offered by social entrepreneurship as a form of decent work for migrants, and of potential growth driver for local and international territories.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter

An Overall Framework to Interpret the Relationship Between International Migration and Social Entrepreneurship in the Adriatic-Ionian Region

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. An Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship and Migrants’ Inclusion in the Adriatic-Ionian Region
Abstract
The twenty-first century has been called the “century of migration” thanks to a notable increase in intercontinental movement. Indeed, the last decade has seen escalating numbers of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees that have substantially elevated the overall immigrant demographic. This trend could transform societies across the globe: On the one hand, migration is emblematic of the modern open society and thus a top priority on international agendas [Massey et al. Population and Development Review, 19(3), 431–466 (1993).]; on the other, it poses significant social and economic concerns. For instance, Greece experienced an influx of more than one million refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in 2015 and early 2016—a number that declined after the closure of the Balkan border in March 2016. However, the Eastern Mediterranean route remains active, with many individuals entering Europe annually for various reasons, including international protection, family reunion, economic opportunities, and education. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, reported that the Western Balkan route was the second-most-used path to Europe in 2021, with detections of illegal border crossings more than doubling to a total of 61,735. Consequently, the arrival and inclusion of refugees and other migrants in host societies represent significant challenges for both EU member states and non-member (transition) states, especially those in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
Federica Bandini, Daniela Bolzani, Stefano Bianchini
Chapter 2. A Socio-political Perspective on the Adriatic-Ionian Area
Abstract
This chapter provides a description of the Adriatic-Ionian area with a specific focus on both existing and potential initiatives for regional cooperation. This approach is supported by the analysis of the main socio-demographic trends in the area that suggests the existence of a number of common challenges with societal implications, for which policy coordination can be more effective and beneficial. These challenges include depopulation and declining fertility rates. However, cooperation in the area is ultimately dependent on political factors, such as the “unfinished” EU enlargement as well as the lack of reconciliation in the Balkans. In these respects, the key political actors involved in the area should look at the various initiatives on inter-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation started by civil society organizations, which seem to be often more well-disposed to transform the social and political context of the Adriatic-Ionian than their leaders. Addressing these political issues is essential for territorial development and for better addressing the social needs of the population.
Stefano Bianchini, Silvia Cittadini, Marco Zoppi
Chapter 3. Socio-economic Inclusion of Migrants in the Adriatic-Ionian Area: Dynamics, Policies and Challenges
Abstract
Since the mass migration dynamics along the so-called Balkan Route in the years 2010s, the Adriatic-Ionian region has acquired new political relevance. In fact, the perceived migration and security challenges have led to a close cooperation with the EU in the management of migration. Beyond humanitarian and security matters, the arrival of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants has triggered crucial questions in relation to the opportunities for their reception and integration. Against this backdrop, this chapter investigates how the governmental response to migration evolved in the Adriatic-Ionian area and what are the main trends, points of convergence and gaps between countries. Here, the objective is also to foresee possible future evolutions in light of the experiences of the neighbouring countries and in consideration of possible future reinforced cooperations. The study grounds on the findings collected within the Interreg-Adrion project REInSER though literature review, document analysis and interviews to key stakeholders, and it is supported with further desk research aimed at highlighting the latest legislative evolutions in the region.
Stefano Bianchini, Silvia Cittadini, Marco Zoppi
Chapter 4. Social Entrepreneurship in the Adriatic–Ionian Countries: Policy Background and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Development
Abstract
While the significant role of social entrepreneurship in driving sustainable development is widely acknowledged, its recognition and growth across European countries is highly uneven, especially in the Adriatic–Ionian macro-region. In such circumstances, the notable disparities in institutional and business environments pose challenges to bridging the gaps, requiring an assessment of how these environments are evolving and under what conditions. This chapter provides an overview of the policy framework for social entrepreneurship and the factors that may hinder or support social and traditional entrepreneurial activity in this macro-region. To this end, our research explores how the level of entrepreneurial ecosystems and the underlying dynamics of the single components have evolved over time, identifying strengths and weaknesses within countries. Using Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) data, the evidence indicates divergence in the overall level of development of the entrepreneurial ecosystems, with improvements in Slovenia and Italy and constant or declining trends in the Balkan countries. The major issues for the latter concern unstable institutions and a low propensity to take entrepreneurial risks. This is in sharp contrast with their strengths: start-up skills and a high propensity and capacity to enter global markets. The study contributes to the broad policy debate on social entrepreneurship development and offers insights for future research on this topic. Its findings have implications for the sustainable and inclusive growth of the Adrion area, especially considering the ongoing migration flows in the EU.
Francesco Savoia, Federica Bandini, Daniela Preite
Chapter 5. Social Entrepreneurship Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities of International Migration: A Review of the Literature
Abstract
The increasing salience of international migration is generating both opportunities and challenges in migrants’ home and host countries, but appears to be a complex phenomenon in light of the multiple individual, organizational, and contextual characteristics and boundaries involved. This complexity has fostered the necessity to experiment with different solutions dealing with migrants’ needs and prospects. Social entrepreneurship seems to be an appropriate tool in this regard, since it applies business logics to provide social solutions and generate impact by contributing to solving grand challenges—such as those linked to international migration. In this chapter, we systematically review the growing, but fragmented, academic literature linking the domains of social entrepreneurship and migration. We derive suggestions for future theoretical and empirical research and formulate practical recommendations from a policy and practice perspective.
Eleonora Grassi, Daniela Bolzani, Federica Bandini

Case Studies and Empirical Evidence About the Policies and Practices of Social Entrepreneurship Linked to International Migration in the Adriatic-Ionian Area

Frontmatter
Chapter 6. Refugees’ Economic Integration Through Social Entrepreneurship: Social Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
This chapter emphasizes the importance of a socioeconomic plan for refugees’ inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as well as the challenges posed to the state-level authorities in the process of refugees’ inclusion in society and the realization of the right to social benefits and work. In this chapter, we investigate the key elements to drive the socioeconomic planning of refugees’ social inclusion, as well as of their inclusion in business processes and employment. We conducted an explorative study in a refugee camp, using questionnaires and direct interviewing of refugees to identify their needs and affinity for social inclusion through the social economy and for work in BiH. The results revealed that the views of the refugees about their desire to stay in the territory of BiH, in terms of formal needs for further existence and life in that area, differ greatly from their perception of the territory of the developed countries of the European Union (EU). They consciously and unconsciously publicly express their feelings and wishes to leave the territory of BiH with the desire for better inclusion in the communities within the EU.
Erol Mujanović, Slavko Simić, Branko Marković, Tariku Ayana Abdi
Chapter 7. Social Entrepreneurship for Refugees “in Transit”: Opportunities and Developments in Serbia
Abstract
The opportunities offered by social entrepreneurship for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers, together with its challenges, have long attracted the attention of scholars and policymakers. In response to this increasing interest, EU institutions and Member States have started promoting the adoption of legislative and policy frameworks that facilitate and support such initiatives. In Serbia, the difficult and at times painful transition towards the market economy, together with the persistent political obstacles to European integration, has certainly hindered the blossom of social entrepreneurship. However, something has started moving towards the development of a political and economic environment more favourable towards these activities, also thanks to EU-funded programmes. At the same time, the closure of the migrants’ organised corridor in 2016 and the consequent growth of the number of asylum applications in Serbia highlighted the need for moving from an exclusively humanitarian or securitarian approach in the management of the migration flows towards a strategy aimed at social integration. However, little has been done in this sense at the institutional level, and Serbia is still largely considered a “transit country”. In this context, numerous NGOs, local associations and individuals have mobilised to support asylum seekers in their trip to Western Europe and during their stay, either long or short, in Serbia. Departing from one of these initiatives, the social enterprise Women on the Way, a sustainable fashion brand based in Belgrade that provides work opportunities to refugee women, this chapter analyses the opportunities and challenges of promoting social entrepreneurship for the integration of asylum seekers and refugees in Serbia, through the analysis of a series of interviews conducted with the personnel of Women on the Way, social workers, activists and asylum seekers.
Silvia Cittadini
Chapter 8. Augusto Boal in the Asylum Home: Theatre of the Oppressed for Social Entrepreneurship
Abstract
This chapter delves into the potential for social entrepreneurship to empower asylum seekers in Slovenia through participatory methodologies, aiming to yield emancipatory outcomes. Grounded in a series of workshops convened at the Asylum Residence on Kotnikova Street in Ljubljana, during 2021, wherein diverse stakeholders collaborated with asylum seekers, the study explored an array of practices, interventions and techniques, with the intent of engendering emancipatory advancements within the sphere of labour market integration. Informed by antecedent research and experiences at the Slovenian Migration Institute ZRC SAZU, it discerned an imperative to support asylum seekers and refugees nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations—particularly towards establishing social enterprises in Slovenia—given the post-2015–16 “Crisis of the EU border regime”. This initiative drew inspiration from the educational tenets promulgated by Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed and Augusto Boal’s theatre of the oppressed. The workshops and methodology provided information that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to obtain, and their results were useful to all participants, but the process was complex and the progress was slow, as there were constant methodological, theoretical and content discords between all involved.
Jure Gombač
Chapter 9. Social Entrepreneurship and Refugee’s Employment: The Case of Slovenia
Abstract
The chapter aims to present the broader socio-economic environment in Slovenia, focusing on the legal, systemic, practical, cultural, and economic barriers and drivers to refugee integration through social entrepreneurship. In order to provide a detailed insight into the broader national socio-economic context of the migration field, the migration context in Slovenia is first presented (e.g., demographic characteristics of migrants, asylum seekers and legislation), followed by the data related to the business and (social) entrepreneurship (e.g., employment rate, active companies, legislation). Based on the existing literature, the available statistical data, and the review of legislation, a qualitative part of the study was then conducted, focusing on best practices in the national environment in the form of enterprises/initiatives. During the interviews with the representatives of the enterprises/initiatives, the main gaps in this area and suggestions for their solutions were also identified and presented. The integration of refugees into the labour market remains a challenge in Slovenia. We present possible solutions and recommendations to improve the identified gaps based on the study’s results. Despite the challenges listed, best practices identified in Slovenia show that social entrepreneurship can be an opportunity for integration, especially for vulnerable groups, including refugees and asylum seekers.
Ksenija Perković, Blaž Lenarčič, Maja Zadel
Chapter 10. Social Entrepreneurship and Migrants’ Inclusion in Albania
Abstract
This chapter contributes to the literature by providing evidence about some aspects of economic integration of refugees and migrants through social entrepreneurship in Albania and from Albania. We will provide an overview of the current situation of this sector development in Albania. First, we will address our discussion in the policy and legislation applied by providing the definition by law and legal forms of social enterprises, what are the main characteristics, legal form and size of these enterprises, in what sectors they do operate the most, who are the main stakeholders and what kind of support they provide by public institutions and private entities, and how they gain financial support and funding. Second, we will discuss about best practices in Albania and challenges for the future in all these directions, with a special focus on migration implications. The objective of this chapter is to analyze the factors driving and hindering the development of social economy and proposing solutions to enhance possibilities of migrant’s integration in host societies. Social entrepreneurship is considered a good possibility for helping migrants to become active economic actors by contributing to economic growth and development in terms of employment generation and new business creation. The implication explored in this chapter will help in facilitating the development of public policies in relation to economic integration and access creation for refugees and migrants.
Imelda Sejdini, Bederiana Shyti
Chapter 11. Social and Solidarity Economy in Greece: European, National and Local Perspectives
Abstract
It has been noted that during times of crisis, economic practices organized on principles of reciprocity often arise. In the last decade in Greece Social and Solidarity Economy seemed to gain a momentum under the shadow of the debt crises that struck the country from 2009 onwards. This momentum included both grassroots movements in the form of civic association and institutional changes that attempted to tune in with a European trend towards social economy. In our contribution we review both the social and the institutional changes that resulted to a social economy ‘big bang’. Furthermore, by following the formation of a local association of social enterprises we sketch the landscape of social entrepreneurship in Greek periphery and its relation to a long genealogy of both local subsistence economy and transnational policy networks.
Konstantinos Mantzos, Aspasia (Sissie) Theodosiou, Achilles Kameas
Chapter 12. Social Incubators and Accelerators for Migrant Entrepreneurs: Exploratory Insights From Italy
Abstract
While the literature about entrepreneurial ecosystems has burgeoned, scholars have started to critically examine their inclusiveness in terms of equitable access to resources, networks, and related power for diverse entrepreneurs. In this regard, migrant entrepreneurs represent a category that, far from being homogeneous, deserves attention due to the pervasive racialized patterns in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial support organizations are important pillars that can foster equal and inclusive entrepreneurship practices. This chapter provides evidence about how two neglected types of support organizations, namely social incubators and accelerators, support migrant entrepreneurs. The analysis of explorative data, collected through semi-structured interviews with specialists from one social incubator and one social accelerator in Italy, highlights the pivotal role of governance and organizational structures, targeting and selection processes, and services provided. The chapter provides several insights that contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial support organizations, along with practical recommendations.
Giulia Martinelli, Greta Serpente, Daniela Bolzani
Chapter 13. Economic Integration of Refugees: A Cross-country Comparison of Slovenia, Spain and Austria
Abstract
Migration has been an integral part of human societies, both in the present and in the past. It is therefore important to have appropriate integration policies and long-term migration strategies in place at both the national and the EU level. Refugees are one of the most vulnerable social groups, due to their often-traumatic experiences and persecution and due to the process of forced migration. It therefore needed a support system and clear policies to mitigate their arrival in a new/host country. This chapter offers a comparative study of integration policy in one specific field, i.e. refugee employment or/and integration into labour markets in three countries: Slovenia, Austria and Spain. We present the findings of a research conducted through semi-structured interviews with twenty-five refugees from three countries, most of whom arrived in the aforementioned countries after 2015 (so-called 2025 refugee crisis in Europe) and have already been integrated into the labour market in their new societies. Interviews were also conducted with social workers and professionals who are working with and for the refugees in new environments. The interviews aimed to find out the characteristics of job-search methods, employer’’ attitudes, coping with barriers and the general situation in the new societies. The findings show that the analysed countries face broadly similar barriers, but that these are lower in countries with more experience in dealing with migration. Further, early integration has a significant impact on the timing of the entry into labour market. The employment process accelerates and improves integration. Entry into the labour market and consequent access to income makes an important contribution to the autonomous life of refugees within their new societies. We can only declare that a policy for integrating refugees into the labour market is successful when it allows refugees to gain economic independence and, further, when their position is comparable to that of the majority population.
Anja Zafošnik, Simona Zavratnik
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Social Entrepreneurship and Migrants' Inclusion
Editors
Stefano Bianchini
Federica Bandini
Daniela Bolzani
Copyright Year
2024
Electronic ISBN
978-3-031-55791-0
Print ISBN
978-3-031-55790-3
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55791-0

Premium Partner