Where and why they move: the residential mobility of Filipino migrants in the Milan Metropolitan city (2002–2023)

This study explores the residential trajectories of Filipinos in the Milan Metropolitan City by integrating quantitative spatial analysis with qualitative biographical narratives. The quantitative data highlight processes of peripheralisation and clustering, whereas the qualitative insights reveal their deeper significance, including evolving understandings of ethnic belonging and identity. This mixed-methods approach also addresses a key limitation of official statistics, which exclude naturalised Italian citizens of Filipino descent from the Filipino contingent by preventing the identification of Italian citizens of Filipino origin, and ensures a more inclusive understanding of their housing pathways. Over the past two decades, Filipino relocation patterns have increasingly shifted from central areas to peripheral neighbourhoods, shaped by economic factors, urban infrastructure and evolving community aspirations. While peripheralisation is often associated with segregation, younger generations are reinterpreting it within their own life trajectories, seeing it not as a constraint but as an opportunity for greater autonomy, stability and social mobility. The findings show that despite spatial dispersion, the Filipino diaspora maintains strong transnational and local networks, adapting to new urban realities without losing cohesion. This research contributes to broader discussions on migration, social integration and the evolving relationship between mobility and identity in Milan’s urban landscape.