I mediatori interculturali nel lavoro con richiedenti asilo e rifugiati in Italia

Intercultural Mediators play a key role within the reception system for refugees and asylum seekers. Although they are required to deal with a well-known humanitarian emergency, their status is still weak and not yet fully formalized. This article is based on the results of a study conducted within the Erasmus + Project ReCULM - Upskilling Cultural Mediators. The contribution starts by presenting the most salient points of the theoretical debate on intercultural mediation in Italy, and then focusses on mediators who work with refugees and asylum seekers. The aim is to analyse the mediators’ role, their identity and their views about the problems and challenges they face in their daily work, and how they facilitate the processes of inclusion of forced migrants. In the conclusions we discuss whether, how and to what extent issues raised in the theoretical debate on mediation can be better specified and addressed by looking at everyday mediation practices.