Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed his desire to increase the number of African students studying in Italy.

This stance could fuel tensions within Italy's ruling coalition over immigration and citizenship policies. Tajani's party, Forza Italia, advocates for granting citizenship to foreign minors who complete most of their education in Italy, a proposal facing resistance from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini's League, both hard-right coalition members.

PHOTO | COURTESY  Foreign minister Antonio Tajani 

At a Catholic business and politics conference in Rimini, Tajani highlighted the need for more African students under the Mattei Plan—an Italian development initiative to support African nations. Tajani compared this initiative to the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Europe after World War II.

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Italy lags behind other major European Union countries in attracting foreign students. According to data from Italy's national statistics institute ISTAT, only about 25,000 study permits were issued in 2022, far fewer than France's 105,000 and Germany's 70,000.

ISTAT attributes this shortfall to the limited global use of the Italian language and challenges in finding employment in Italy, making it less appealing for international students.