Abstract

This article is a study on irregular Brazilian migrants living and working in two global cities in Europe: Milan and London. The article shows why Brazilians choose irregular migration to Milan and London as a strategy and the way in which immigration policy design and implementation can control, regularise, and integrate immigrants by comparing Milan and London. The second objective of the article is to demonstrate the role of transnational ties between undocumented and documented Brazilian immigrants living in two different cities. This study shows that most Brazilians had already established contact with Brazilian networks in Milan and London before contemplating irregular migration as a strategy. Strong links were found between the networks in Milan and London and four regions in Brazil.