Infantilization or inclusion within the reception system? A case study on the experience of female asylum seekers and international protection holders in Palermo

Abstract

"Vulnerability" ranks among the most common terms in contemporary debates on migration and asylum. Yet the concept remains strikingly elusive. In high-income countries, vulnerability requires clearer definition: it must specify who qualifies as infantilization. By re-examining the tension between care and control, the article offers a critical reflection on inclusion practices within reception systems, calling for models capable of recognising the agency, skills, and social potential of refugee women.