The combined status of being both a student and a migrant carried significant formal and practical consequences. Due to restrictions imposed by their student residence permits, they were only permitted to engage in occasional work, with strict limits on their weekly working hours. Consequently, they turned to digital platforms like Glovo, which offered low barriers to entry, as the most expedient means of supplementing their income. Despite the prevalent notion of flexibility associated with appbased food delivery jobs, our research uncovered certain inflexibilities. For instance, Glovo couriers registered as walkers in the historic centre were prohibited from working as riders in the mainland of Venice. This circumstance significantly impacted the lives of those couriers compelled to operate solely in the historic centre, forcing them to account for the (uncompensated) time spent commuting to work and reshaping their daily routines accordingly. Some of the student-walkers we interviewed emphasised that their primary focus was on studying, yet they also highlighted the challenges of striking a balance between their academic commitments and the imperative for additional income.
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G. PIRINA