Bangladeshi Migrant Shipbuilders in Italy. Rethinking Precarity and Livelihood

Since the 1990s the number of Bangladeshi migrant workers (BMWs) has increased in Italy. These migrants, with or without regular status, have emerged as one of the most vulnerable groups in Italy due to their living and working conditions. The study aims to comprehend the pre- and post-migration experiences and working conditions from everyday narratives of the BMWs. It also explores how these experiences shape the well-being of their families in Italy and Bangladesh. Current study involved 63 in-depth interviews, daily observations, and ethnographic fieldwork in Monfalcone and Marghera, with BMWs in the Italian Fincantieri shipyards. The precarious lives of BMWs commence with their journey to Italy and continue in the host country, as migration laws require job contracts to allow migrants obtaining a permit to stay, making them vulnerable to exploitation. BMWs engage in precarious work with lower wages, long working hours, Sunday work, temporary jobs without social contributions, and often remain unemployed. Precarious work and life experiences of BMWs shape family well-being and everyday life in Italy and Bangladesh.