The next Meeting on Migration Experiences is scheduled for March 18, 2025, starting at 2:30 p.m. The focus will be on “The Role of Frontline Professionals in the Immigrant Integration Process.”

Venue
Room A202, Building 4 - Iscte

Speaker 
Natalia Curci,  
PhD Student, IGOT, Ulisboa

Commentary 
Elisa Alves,  
AIMA - Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum

Abstract
This presentation will examine how the daily practices of professionals working on the front lines are interconnected with the integration processes of immigrants. Professionals play a crucial role throughout the integration journey, as immigrants often engage in various bureaucratic interactions facilitated by these frontline workers. The governance of migration in Portugal is structured so that both specialized service professionals, such as those from the Local Support Centres for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM), and employees from other public institutions share the responsibility for the care, guidance, and reception of immigrants. This discussion will explore both contexts, aiming to identify instances of connection and comfort in the interactions between immigrants and professionals. It will also seek to uncover guiding factors and the impacts of these interactions, highlighting how the discretionary power held by professionals can either promote equal opportunities or perpetuate inequalities. This research adopts a local perspective, focusing on two socio-spatial contexts: an urban area (Lisbon) and a rural area (Ferreira do Alentejo). Some preliminary results from this ongoing doctoral research will be presented.

Biography

Natalia Curci holds a degree in Geography from UDESC (Santa Catarina State University) and a Master's degree in Education from UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina). She is currently a PhD student in Migration at IGOT-UL. Her main research interests include international migration, migration governance and integration, local policy implementation focusing on frontline professionals ("Street-Level Bureaucrats"), as well as education in migratory contexts. Since 2018, she has been involved in immigrant care and reception projects, gaining professional experience in both Brazil and Portugal.

Elisa Alves earned her PhD in Human Geography, specializing in Migrations, from IGOT, Ulisboa, in 2021. She has served as a researcher at CIES-Iscte and CEG-IGOT, participating in various national and international projects related to education, gender, ethnic minorities, and migration. Elisa has also held the position of assistant professor and has worked as a consultant for the European Migration Network. She has received several awards and distinctions and has authored or co-authored numerous scientific articles, book chapters, and books in both Portuguese and English, mostly published in open access. Previously a member of the IMISCOE international network, she coordinated a working group within the PhD Network, the ENIS network, and the MIGRARE group. In 2021, she joined public administration and currently serves as the coordinator of the Management and Planning Unit at the National Center for Asylum and Refugees, under AIMA IP.