Abstract

The article explores the ostensible paradox of the Treviso Province, described as the area with the highest degree of migrant integration despite the long-term electoral loyalty to Lega Nord, the most xenophobic party in Italy. The paper illustrates an ethnographic research aimed at revealing how populist statements materialize in the light of citizens' expectations and the requirements involved in the everyday administration of a local authority. It focuses on the local immigrant policies of the Municipality and Province of Treviso, both governed by Lega Nord, analyzing how the local governments have supported, hindered or remained on the fence about the granting of rights and services to migrants. For this purpose, the author has extended the observation to the social context in which Lega Nord has operated, that is, the long-term influence of the Church and Catholic organizations in the local governance.