 Depiction of a Black Italian (Venice, 1496) | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,096,089 in 2015 (Of those 370,068 are Black Sub-Saharan Africans) [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Rome, Milan, Turin, Palermo, Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, Florence | |
| Languages | |
| Italian, Afro-Asiatic languages, Niger–Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism, also Orthodox, Other Christians · Sunni Islam |
African emigrants to Italy include Italian citizens and residents originally from Africa. Immigrants from Africa officially residing in Italy in 2015 numbered about 1,000,000 residents. [1] Afro-Italians (Afroitaliani) are Italians born in Africa but raised in Italy, Italian citizens of African descent, or of mixed African and Italian roots.
Contents
- Countries of origin
- North Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africans
- Discrimination
- Notable immigrants to Italy
- Sports
- Politicians
- Music
- Communications and other media
- Acting, television and filmmaking
- Community activists
- See also
- References
In 2014, over 170,000 migrants arrived, which represented the biggest influx of people into one country in European Union history at the time. [2] A large percentage of them arrived via Africa.
African migrants specifically use Libyan coasts to travel across the Mediterranean Sea in large numbers, hoping to land on Italian shores. [2] Although departing from Libya, most are from Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and Eritrea. [2] According to data from the UN Refugee Agency, over 66,000 migrants arrived to Italy via sea routes in 2024. [3] The route is dangerous and often unsuccessful; in 2024, 1,172 people died or went missing while crossing the Mediterranean and many of the other boats transporting the migrants from Africa to Italy were intercepted by the Libyan coast guard. [3] As this route has gained more and more attention throughout the years, smugglers have started to use alternate routes such as through Egypt, the Balkan route from Greece, and a very risky route from mountain passes in Albania. [4]
Job markets and economic opportunities represent a major driver of African immigration to Europe. However, a 2019 study also found issues pertaining to food insecurity, civil rights, and political instability significantly impacted outflow of migrants from African countries. [5] While European legislation concerning immigration flow has focused primarily on economic draws, these socio-political factors have also been shown to have a demonstrated impact. [5]
In 2016, Italy's finance minister pushed for financial compensation from the European Union for his country's financial losses because of mass migration. [4] As of 2016, the European Union had put forth 1.8 billion euros for the entirety of Africa's refugee efforts in Europe. [6]
