The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy has revealed that the authorities have processed around 3,000 visa applications filed by Turkish students who want to pursue their studies in Italian universities within a five-month period in 2024.
Such a number of visas for educational purposes processed in five months represents a significant increase compared to the previous year, when during 12 months, Italy processed 2,600 visas filed by Turkish students, Schengen.News reports.
Based on the data provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy has already processed about 15 per cent more education visas for Turkish students in just five months in 2024 than it did in the entire last year.
While the Ministry did not disclose during which months the 3,000 visas for Turkish students were processed, figures still indicate that the processing time has significantly sped up this year.
By the end of this year, it is estimated that the number of visas issued to Turkish students will reach a new high. However, official data on the matter are yet to be shared by the Italian authorities.
Ministry Assures Turkish Students That Their Visas Will Be Processed in Time
In addition to sharing the visa processing pace, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also assured all Turkish students who have been accepted into Italian universities for the 2024/25 academic year that their visas will be processed in time and as quickly as possible.
Such reassurance from the Foreign Ministry was made following the protest of the Turkish students outside the Italian Consulate in Istanbul.
During the protest held at the beginning of this week, Turkish students who have been admitted to Italian universities condemned the visa delays that they have been facing, leaving them in limbo.
Commenting on the matter, the Ministry said in an official statement that students who need to submit some additional documents have already been informed and that the authorities will be working to facilitate the visa issuance.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani also spoke on the matter. He said that the Italian authorities are working to accelerate the visa processing for Turkish students.
The same stressed that from their perspective, there is no obstacle for Turkish students who want to pursue their studies in Italy, making it clear that the country is not purposely delaying responses.
Source: https://schengen.news/italy-processes-3000-study-visas-for-turkish-students-in-5-months/
