The relevance of multi-level governance on contrasting the social inequity health determinants of exploited migrant workers: a comparison between the Project P.I.U. Su.Pr.Eme. in the Region of Sicily and the Project Common Ground in the Veneto Region.

In Italy, migrants are often exposed to labour exploitation by working without a contract, adequate protection equipment, or being underpaid. Precarious labour conditions of migrant workers frequently hinder their regular access to essential services, such as housing. Consequently, there is a lack of endowment to social protection and health assistance. In the last decade, Italy’s high number of migrant victims of labour exploitation led the government to implement national policies and actions that subsequently contrast this phenomenon and the informal economy (Omizzolo, 2023). However, different regional governances were established: while the multi-level governance was mainly implemented through the project Common Ground in the Northern Regions, the Southern regions enacted the project Più Su.Pr.EmE . Applying the Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health (Irwin & Solar, 2010), this study, through a mixed method research conducted with the Più Su.Pr.EmE and Common Ground street-level bureaucrats (Lipsky, 1980) in Veneto and Sicily aim to 1) analyse the role of multi-level governance on the facilitation of health endowment of migrants working within an exploitative situation; 2) understand the recognition of the institutional representation through the private sector implementing Più Su.Pr.EmE and Common Ground within multi-level governance; 3) assess the influence of gender and nationality as structural determinants that are perceived to impact the health inequity of migrant workers in the Veneto and Sicily regions.