Italian government action for Palestinian students: Italy working on “university corridors”

In recent weeks, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working to establish "university corridors" to enable Palestinian students awarded scholarships by Italian universities to leave their country and travel to Italy. At the request of Minister Tajani, the procedures for obtaining visas have been clarified and expedited on the Italian side, and are being presented to the authorities of the countries in the region involved. However, conditions must still be created for the issuance of transit permits by countries such as Israel and Jordan, which have clear political positions on the matter. Currently, 152 students have been awarded scholarships through the Italian university system.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza, Italy has launched various forms of support for the Palestinian civilian population. These include: Humanitarian assistance through food and medical aid; medical evacuations to Italy, particularly for critically ill patients, especially children. The awarding of scholarships intersects with concerns raised by some national authorities about the potential depopulation of Palestine, particularly Gaza, through the migration of some of the country's most promising young people.

For weeks, the Ministry and Italian embassies in the region have been working to obtain the necessary authorisations. The matter is being followed in a pragmatic and operational manner by the Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Consulate General in Jerusalem, and the Embassy in Jordan.

Authorisation from the Israeli and Jordanian governments is essential to allow departure from the Gaza Strip and onward transit through Jordan to Italy - as has been the case for student transfers that have occurred to date.

Currently, transit countries only allow departures for medical or family reunification reasons. Only a limited number of permits have been granted for students - mostly on an ad hoc basis. Italy has so far received mainly medical permits. This issue is the subject of intense diplomatic dialogue led by the Italian Embassy in Amman, with the aim of identifying a prompt and workable solution for the safe transit of students. Italy has so far been the country that received the highest number of permits for the transfer of ill minors and their relatives, while other European countries have in some cases obtained permits for the transit of university students. Italy is now calling for the establishment of a clear and structured framework for "university corridors", to ensure that student departures can take place safely and systematically.