Delegation of Iranian Students Protests Outside Turin University Over Italian Visa Delays

A small delegation of Iranian students gathered yesterday to protest outside the rectorate of Turin University over the long Schengen visa delays that students from Iran who have already been enrolled at the Polytechnic are currently facing.

At the protest, the delegation displayed several flyers, with one of them writing that some Iranian students have been waiting for 140 days for an appointment to secure a visa, Schengen.News reports. 

While the authorities have not shared any information on the matter, according to the Iranian students’ representatives, a total of 34 students admitted to the Polytechnic of Turin are waiting for an appointment, Corriere Torino explains. 

Concerned about the situation, a student representative called for the Italian Embassy in Tehran to take measures as soon as possible. The representative stressed that these delays are threatening the academic goals of the students and, at the same time, noted that some also risk losing their admission.

Attention to the matter has also been brought up by the leaders of the educational institution. The Polytechnic of Turin said that it had taken action to report the problem and noted that it was in contact with the relevant authorities. 

Other Students Are Also Facing Obstacles in Securing an Italian Visa 
Iranian students are not the only ones who have been complaining about the long waiting times for an Italian visa appointment.

Just recently, Afghan students said that despite having filed visa applications months ago, they are still waiting to receive a response from the Italian Embassy. 

Turkish students have also voiced the same concerns. Fed up with the long processing times, a group of Turkish students who have been admitted to Italian universities protested outside the Italian Consulate in Istanbul earlier in November of this year. 

At this protest, the Turkish students required the Italian Embassy to process their visa applications as soon as possible as they risk losing their spots. 

In response to these concerns, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, said that the country’s authorities are working to accelerate the processing of visas for Turkish students. 

According to him, the delays are linked to the high number of applications that the Italian consulates have been receiving. He further noted that the Italian authorities are not purposely delaying this procedure.

Source: https://schengen.news/delegation-of-iranian-students-protests-outside-turin-university-over-italian-visa-delays/