The Role of Social Worker in Promoting Immigrants' Integration.

The dramatic increase in migration in Italy represents a challenge for social workers involved in the integration services. The current study explores the Italian social work practice with immigrants within different working contexts through qualitative data consisting in interviews with social workers. The data were analyzed through T-LAB, a software for content analysis and text mining. Results showed that social workers suitably address immigrants' needs, approaching and understanding different cultures. We may conclude that social workers promote integration and individual empowerment, building a "relational bridge" between cultural diversities, immigrants' heritage, and the mainstream culture. Particularly, social workers have to meet and answer the essential needs of newcomers because the route to integration passes through the practical sphere of welfare provisions.