Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday he wants more African students to come to Italy.
Tajani’s center-right Forza Italia party is urging the government to consider granting citizenship to foreign minors who complete most of their education in Italy.
The proposal is opposed by the two right-wing coalition parties, Brothers of Italy led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the League led by Matteo Salvini.
“I think the number of African students studying in Italy should be increased,” Tajani said at a conference in Rimini on the Adriatic coast.
Tajani was discussing an Italian development initiative for African countries, known as the “Mattei Plan,” named after the late founder of Italian energy company Eni.
Far fewer foreigners study in Italy than in other major EU countries.
Data from Italy’s National Institute of Statistics shows that the country issued around 25,000 study permits in 2022, compared with around 105,000 in France and around 70,000 in Germany.
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