The main objectives of the PERCEPTIONS project are: (1) to identify the narratives, images and perceptions of Europe held by migrants and people intending to migrate; (2) to investigate how different narratives can lead to problems due to a mismatch between expectations and reality, for migrants and even for national security; and (3) to create toolkits of creative and innovative measures to react to or even counteract distorted information, considering social, societal and structural aspects, provided on an intuitive web-based platform.
Previous research suggests that perceptions about Europe are formed in the country of residence and are based on a multitude of sources, just as the factors influencing migration are at different levels - from the general socio-economic situation of a country to perceptions about educational opportunities and gender equality.
The chapters included here, introduced by Fabio Porta, Hon. and Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Committee on Foreign and European Community Affairs, are the result of unpublished research that the group of leading scholars in this field who were part of this important European project wanted to collect and publish in order to contribute to the knowledge of this global phenomenon.