Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, has expressed a desire to see more African students pursue their studies in Italy. This stance may further fuel the ongoing debates within the ruling coalition regarding immigration and citizenship policies.
According to Reuters, Tajani’s centre-right Forza Italia party has proposed that the government consider granting citizenship to foreign minors who have completed most of their education in Italy.
This proposal, however, faces resistance from the coalition’s far-right allies, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini’s League.
“I think the numbers of African students studying in Italy should be increased,” Tajani remarked at a Catholic business and politics conference held in Rimini, on the Adriatic coast.
During his speech, Tajani discussed Italy’s development initiative for African countries, known as the Mattei Plan, named after the late founder of the state-controlled energy giant Eni.
Tajani likened the initiative to a modern-day Marshall Plan, drawing a parallel to the U.S. effort to revitalize European economies after World War II.
Compared to other major European Union nations, Italy attracts significantly fewer international students.
According to data from Italy’s National Statistics Institute, ISTAT, the country issued approximately 25,000 study permits in 2022, while France issued nearly 105,000 and Germany around 70,000.
ISTAT cited the limited global reach of the Italian language and the difficulties in securing employment in Italy as probable factors contributing to the lower number of foreign students.
