South Asian Diaspora in Italy: settlement patterns and locational factors

Purpose: This paper empirically explores the spatial distribution of the four major South Asian communities in Italian municipalities between 2004 and 2014 and identifies the key determinants of these patterns. Design/methodology/approach: SAP’s (South Asian People) location patterns are investigated through a large and varied set of explanatory variables. Employing a settlement model and the inflow approach, we disentangle the impact of conventional pull factors and the network effect. Findings: We observe how SAP in Italy are concentrated in some specific locations, away from the natives. This decentralised clustered distribution results from a mix of contextual pull factors and ethnic networks with a strong local character. However, national communities exhibit striking differences in location patterns, determined by different pull factors. We found evidence of the overall persistence of drivers over time, which generated substantial inertia in the settlement patterns of SAP national groups over the 2008 crisis. Practical implications: We stressed how SAP have different settlement patterns and drivers, so they cannot be treated as a unicum. They call for place-based policies tailored to the specific needs of individual communities. Originality/value: We examine the relevant but under-researched SAP diaspora in Italy by comparing the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan location models across all the Italian municipalities and checking if and how their spatial distribution changed over the 2008 crisis.