Safety and immigration: the problem of immigration and the European union

This article deals with the question of how migration has developed into a security issue in Europe and how the European integration process is implicated in it. Since the 1980s, the political construction of migration increasingly referred to the destabilizing effects of migration on domestic integration and to the dangers for public order it implied. The spillover of the internal market into a European internal security question mirrors these domestic developments at the European level. The Third Pillar on Justice and Home Affairs, the Schengen Agreements, and the Dublin Convention most visibly indicate that the European integration process is implicated in the development of a restrictive migration policy and the social construction of migration into a security question. However, the political process of connecting migration to criminal and terrorist abuses of the internal market does not take place in isolation. It is related to a wider politicization in which immigrants and asylum-seekers are portrayed as a challenge to the protection of national identity and welfare provisions. Moreover, supporting the political construction of migration as a security issue impinges on and is embedded in the politics of belonging in western Europe. It is an integral part of the wider technocratic and political process in which professional agencies – such as the police and customs – and political agents – such as socialmovements and political parties – debate and decide the criteria for legitimate membership of west European societies.Immigration rank high in the public debate in EU countries. Participants in this debate often have different opinions on the subject. On the one hand, supporters of more liberal attitudes towards immigration – many economists are among them – propose some solid arguments why the EU needs more immigrants. One such argument is related to the ageing of the European population, which implies that pension systems are coming under strain. In this context, immigrant inflows are beneficial because they may slow the pace of ageing and consequently relax tensions in the pension system. Another pro-immigration argument refers to the low geographical mobility of European workers within the EU. A consequence of the latter is that migrants play a crucial role as a stabilizer after asymmetric shocks by moving into areas where labour is scarce. On the other hand, many European countries experience high levels of anti-immigrant opinions. The complexity of migration requires a global approach to policies. First, the several externalities at work ask for a high level of coordination among EU member states. There is therefore a need for coordination among EU member states for policies related to irregular immigration. The European Pact on Immigration underlines the importance of strengthening cooperation with countries of origin and transit on a number of fronts, including managing migrant inflows, fighting against the trading of human beings and against international criminal networks. Second, a global approach requires an in-depth analysis of all the factors determining migration, as Brady (2008) suggests. Helping immigrants’ origin countries in alleviating problems of political instability, poverty or high unemployment through official development assistance or reducing barriers to trade are some examples of policies dealing with “push” factors, i.e. the reasons why migrants want to move out of certain countries. Immigration policies should also take into account the factors that attract migrants into the destination country, i.e. the pull factors. An example of such factors is the labor market condition in host countries. According to the above-mentioned pact, it is the responsibility of each EU country to decide on the number of persons it wishes to admit and this should be done according to its individual labor requirements. In addition to the fostering of cooperation both among member states and between the EU and migrant’s countries of origin, two of the main arguments at the center of the debate on European immigration policy are the EU willingness of attracting more qualified immigrant workers and of reducing the number of undocumented immigrants

Réflexion sur “le droit constitutionnel turc” entre coup d’etat et democratie

A gennaio del 2021 il Presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan ha nominato Melih Bulu, un ex candidato parlamentare del “Partito della Giustizia e dello Sviluppo” (AKP), attualmente al governo, come rettore dell’università di Bogazici, terza prestigiosa Università di Istanbul. Il nuovo rettore non è parte del corpo accademico e non è stato scelto dalle componenti università in violazione della legge e della tradizione, che riconosce l’autonomia universitaria. Gli studenti e il corpo accademico dell’Università del Bosforo hanno decisamente protestato con manifestazioni e occupazioni, ma sono iniziati gli arresti. Gli studenti italiani e alcuni accademici hanno manifestato in diversi modi la loro solidarietà, sostenendo le proteste della comunità universitaria, che fino ad ora aveva conservato una certa autonomia, dovuta anche alla qualità dell’insegnamento e della ricerca. Le proteste continuano da parte di studenti e professori (che ogni giorno manifestano con le spalle rivolte all’ufficio del rettore) e si sono estese anche ad altre componenti della cittadinanza. La nostra rivista si colloca nella linea della solidarietà e intende farlo anche pubblicando un saggio che costituisce una riflessione su un testo di diritto costituzionale turco, curato da et Eric SALES, Maître de conférences HDR in Diritto pubblico dell’Università di Montpellier. Ibrahim O. KABOGLU è un noto Professore Ordinario di Diritto costituzionale, che ha insegnato fino al febbraio del 2017 presso l'Università di Marmara di Istanbul, quando è stato licenziato per decreto in quanto considerato colpevole di “propaganda terroristica” e “oltraggio alle istituzioni e alla Repubblica di Turchia” per aver firmato nel gennaio del 2016, prima del colpo di stato del luglio 2016, una “petizione per la pace” insieme con altri 1128 accademici turchi. Kablogu, che è anche presidente dell'Associazione per la ricerca sul diritto costituzionale e membro dell'Ordine degli avvocati di Istanbul, è persona di profonda cultura giuridica e di grandi doti di ricercatore, che unisce al senso di moderazione, a una profonda umanità e alla forza delle sue convinzioni che non hanno mai invocato la violenza. Il volume che viene commentato consente non solo di apprezzare la coerenza di un ragionamento giuridico di apprezzamento della democrazia e dei rischi possibili, ma anche di conoscere meglio la qualità della ricerca giuridica in un Paese che sta attraversando un difficile momento, che speriamo sia di transizione

CD20-depleting therapy in autoimmune diseases: from basic research to the clinic

Perosa F, Prete M, Racanelli V, Dammacco F (University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy). CD20-depleting therapy in autoimmune diseases: from basic research to the clinic (Review). J Intern Med 2010; 267: 260-277. The B lymphocyte-associated antigen CD20 is becoming an important immunotherapy target for autoimmune diseases, although its biological function has not been defined. Besides rheumatoid arthritis, growing experience with B cell-depleting therapy indicates that it may be effective in Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis-polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus and some types of vasculitides. However, controlled clinical trials are still lacking for some of these indications. Infection has not been seen as a major limitation to this therapy, but reports of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in an extremely small number of patients are of concern. Here, we review the therapeutic actions of anti-CD20 antibodies, and the recent and ongoing clinical trials with CD20-depleting therapy in autoimmune diseases. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Ocular sarcoidosis : clinical experience and recent pathogenetic and therapeutic advancements

Purpose To describe the ocular manifestations in a cohort of patients with systemic sarcoidosis (SS). Recent advances in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of SS are also discussed. Methods Data from 115 Italian patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All but the first 17 patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. The diagnosis was based on clinical features, the demonstration of non-caseating granulomas in biopsies from involved organs, and multiple imaging techniques. Data on broncho-alveolar lavage fluid analysis, calcemia, calciuria, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were retrieved when available. Results Ocular involvement, detected in 33 patients (28.7%), was bilateral in 29 (87.9%) and the presenting feature in 13 (39.4%). Anterior uveitis was diagnosed in 12 patients (36.4%), Lofgren syndrome and uveoparotid fever in one patient each (3%), intermediate uveitis in 3 patients (9.1%), posterior uveitis in 7 (21.2%), and panuveitis in 9 (27.3%). First-line therapy consisted of corticosteroids, administered as eyedrops (10 patients), sub-Tenon's injections (1 patient), intravitreal implants (9 patients), or systemically (23 patients). Second-line therapy consisted of steroid-sparing immunosuppressants, including methotrexate (10 patients) and azathioprine (10 patients). Based on pathogenetic indications that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is a central mediator of granuloma formation, adalimumab, targeting TNF-alpha, was employed in 6 patients as a third-line agent for severe/refractory chronic sarcoidosis. Conclusion Uveitis of protean type, onset, duration, and course remains the most frequent ocular manifestation of SS. Diagnostic and therapeutic advancements have remarkably improved the overall visual prognosis. An ophthalmologist should be a constant component in the multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of this often challenging but intriguing disease.Peer reviewe

Erdheim-Chester disease: A systematic review.

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare form of non-Langerhans-cell histiocytosis, associated in more than 50% of cases to BRAF(V600E) mutations in early multipotent myelomonocytic precursors or in tissue-resident histiocytes. It encompasses a spectrum of disorders ranging from asymptomatic bone lesions to multisystemic, life-threatening variants. We reviewed all published reports of histologically-confirmed ECD and explored clinical, radiological, prognostic and therapeutic characteristics in a population of 448 patients, including a unique patient from our Department. To find a clinically relevant signature defining differentiated prognostic profiles, the patients' disease features were compared in relation to their CNS involvement that occurred in 56% of the entire population. Diabetes insipidus, visual disturbances, pyramidal and extra-pyramidal syndromes were the most recurrent neurological signs, whereas concomitant pituitary involvement, retro-orbital masses and axial lesions in the presence of symmetric bilateral osteosclerosis of long bones depicted the typical ECD clinical picture. Patients with CNS infiltration showed a lower occurrence of heart involvement and a higher incidence of bone, skin, retro-peritoneal, lung, aortic and renal infiltration. No difference in the therapeutic algorithm was found after stratification for CNS involvement. A better understanding of the disease pathogenesis, including BRAF deregulation, in keeping with improved prognostic criteria, will provide novel suggestions for the management of ECD

Development and Implementation of the AIDA International Registry for Patients with Non-Infectious Scleritis

Introduction This article points out the design, methods, development and deployment of the international registry promoted by the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) Network with the aim to define and assess paediatric and adult patients with immune-mediated scleritis. Methods This registry collects both retrospective and prospective real-world data from patients with non-infectious scleritis through the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool and aims to promote knowledge and real-life evidence from patients enrolled worldwide; the registry also allows the collection of standardised data, ensuring the highest levels of security and anonymity of patients' data and flexibility to change according to scientific acquisitions over time. The communication with other similar registries has been also ensured in order to pursue the sustainability of the project with respect to the adaptation of collected data to the most diverse research projects. Results Since the launch of the registry, 99 centres have been involved from 20 countries and four continents. Forty-eight of the centres have already obtained a formal approval from their local ethics committees. At present, the platform counts 259 users (95 principal investigators, 160 site investigators, 2 lead investigators, and 2 data managers); the platform collects baseline and follow-up data using 3683 fields organised into 13 instruments, including patient's demographics, history, symptoms, trigger or risk factors, therapies and healthcare utilization. Conclusions The development of the AIDA International Registry for patients with non-infectious scleritis will allow solid research on this rare condition. Real-world evidence resulting from standardised real-life data will lead to the optimisation of routine clinical and therapeutic management, which are currently limited by the rarity of this ocular inflammatory condition