Italy’s Foreign Minister Advocates for More African Students Despite Coalition Tensions

Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, has called for an increase in the number of African students studying in Italy, a move that could intensify existing tensions within the country’s ruling coalition over immigration and citizenship policies.

During a recent conference in Rimini, Tajani, representing the centre-right Forza Italia party, voiced his support for bringing more African students to Italian universities. His stance aligns with Italy’s broader development initiative for African nations, known as the Mattei Plan, which Tajani likened to a modern-day Marshall Plan. The Mattei Plan is named after Enrico Mattei, the late founder of the state-controlled energy giant Eni, and is designed to foster development and stability in Africa.

Tajani’s proposal also includes a push for granting citizenship to foreign minors who have completed most of their education in Italy. However, this idea has faced significant opposition from Italy’s far-right coalition partners—Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini’s League. Both parties have traditionally held strong anti-immigration stances, and any policy perceived as lenient towards immigrants, including the potential easing of citizenship laws, is likely to face resistance.

Italy lags behind other major European Union countries in attracting international students. In 2022, Italy issued approximately 25,000 study permits, a figure that pales in comparison to France’s 105,000 and Germany’s 70,000. According to ISTAT, Italy’s National Statistics Institute, the relatively low number of international students can be attributed to the limited global reach of the Italian language and the challenges that international graduates face in finding employment within Italy.

Tajani’s remarks come at a time when Italy is grappling with broader immigration issues, and his call for more African students could be seen as part of a strategy to strengthen ties with African nations through educational exchange. However, with coalition partners wary of any moves that might be perceived as opening the door to increased immigration, it remains to be seen how these proposals will fare within Italy’s current political landscape.