Marco Di Feo - The Human Right to Family Reunification

Our podcast turns to a paper from Marco Di Feo, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan. The recording is taken from our 2019 Annual Conference, ‘The Theory and Practice of Phenomenology’.

ABSTRACT: All people, to the extent that they wish, have the right to be fully integrated into the social world in which they live, regardless of their institutional status (citizen, immigrant, refugee, etc.). The integration is a very complex process, which includes at least three essential levels of the social life: the community one, that is, the level of interpersonal bonds (i.e. sentimental, friendship, etc.); the territorial one, that is, the level of social interactions (i.e those that depend on a social role, or a profession, etc.); and the political one, that is, the possibility of taking part in the collective political life (expressing opinions, voting, etc.). The phenomenological analysis of the essential forms of social interaction shows the peculiarity of each different level of integration. The crucial point on which I intend to pay attention is the following: each democratic country that welcomes an immigrant must create the conditions for her/his fully successful social integration. The hospitality of the immigrants is intrinsically connected to the duty of making them members of the society, at all three levels of the social life. I specifically intend to deal the theme of family reunifications within this conceptual horizon. Since family ties are the central nucleus of the community weaving, and since every person has the right to live in relation to her own reference community context, then the family reunification must be considered an inalienable right of every person who is welcomed in a new country. This right cannot be subordinated to any other type of evaluation, of economic, bureaucratic or political nature, because it is a human right. Only by guaranteeing a family context of belonging, institutions can avoid situations of social degradation, which are linked to conditions of loneliness and social isolation.

BIO: I was born in Milan, Italy, 46 years ago. Philosophy has always been my passion, but before dedicating myself to it, I felt the need to grow. I worked in a bank; then I changed radically my life, going to work in a social farm. Ten years ago I moved to Switzerland to work as social worker. During these years I achieved my degree with a thesis on the collective subjects from a phenomenological perspective. Actually I am working with young refugees and ending my second year of PhD. In my life path work and study are linked and grow together.

The ‘British Society for Phenomenology Annual Conference 2019 – the Theory and Practice of Phenomenology’ was held at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, UK, 5 – 7 September, 2019: https://www.britishphenomenology.org.uk/conference/

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https://www.britishphenomenology.org.uk/events/

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