ITALIAN Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed a desire on Thursday to increase the number of African students studying in Italy, a statement that could intensify existing tensions within Italy’s ruling coalition over immigration and citizenship policies.
Tajani, a member of the centre-right Forza Italia party, highlighted the importance of welcoming more African students during a speech at a Catholic business and politics conference in Rimini, located on Italy’s Adriatic coast. He connected this initiative to the Mattei Plan, an Italian development strategy aimed at supporting African countries, which he likened to the post-World War Two Marshall Plan by the United States.
‘Forza Italia believes we should consider granting citizenship to foreign minors who have completed most of their education in Italy,’ Tajani said, underscoring the potential for these students to contribute to Italian society. However, this proposal has faced resistance from Italy’s two hard-right coalition partners, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini’s League.
Currently, Italy lags behind other major European Union countries in attracting foreign students. According to the national statistics institute ISTAT, Italy issued about 25,000 study permits in 2022, significantly fewer than the nearly 105,000 issued by France and around 70,000 by Germany. ISTAT attributes this disparity to the limited global use of the Italian language and the challenges of securing employment in Italy.
Tajani’s call to boost African student numbers in Italy may fuel further debate within the coalition, particularly regarding the broader issues of immigration and citizenship rights. The discussion around Tajani’s proposal could shape Italy’s approach to international education and its role in fostering global relationships through student exchanges.
Africabriefing
