As the deadline ends, the number of applicants that have been invited to their appointments remains low, as nearly 1,000 students have not received any notification from Visametric or the Italian embassy.
Italian Embassy’s Inaction Jeopardises Academic Futures of Hundreds of Iranian Students
Several institutions, including the Italian Embassy in Tehran, the Foreign Ministry, and the Ministry of University and Research, have been contacted regarding the issue, but no response has yet been issued.
This situation has impacted Iranian students, causing both financial and emotional damage. Milad Arjmandkia, a Master’s student at the University of Milan and a Human Rights activist, reveals that Iranian students have to pay considerable amounts to afford to apply for a visa or file their applications at foreign universities.
These issues have also impacted students’ mental health, who are growing more concerned about their future. As Arjmandkia reveals, many of them have planned one to two years ahead, while others have even completed their entry exams.
Italy is increasingly becoming a popular destination for Iranian students, who, in 2023, became the leading non-EU country for students in Italy. According to an Istat report, the number of Iranian students in Italy has increased from 973 in 2015 to 4,209 in 2023, which is a 300 per cent difference.
