Rome, Italy – Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for an increase in the number of African students studying in Italy, a proposal that has sparked controversy within the country’s governing coalition.
Tajani’s center-right Forza Italia party has advocated for granting citizenship to foreign minors who have completed a significant portion of their education in Italy. However, this proposal has faced opposition from the hard-right Brothers of Italy and League parties, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini, respectively.
Speaking at a conference in Rimini, Tajani emphasized the importance of attracting more African students to Italy. He likened the initiative to the Marshall Plan, a U.S. aid program that helped rebuild European economies after World War II.
Compared to other large European Union nations, Italy receives a relatively small number of foreign students. According to data from Italy’s national statistics institute ISTAT, the country issued approximately 25,000 study permits in 2022, while France and Germany issued nearly 105,000 and 70,000, respectively.
ISTAT attributed the limited number of foreign students in Italy to several factors, including the relatively limited use of Italian as an international language and the challenges of finding employment in the country.
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