African emigrants to Italy
Total population | |
---|---|
1,096,089[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 | |
PredominantlyRoman Catholicism,alsoOrthodox,Other Christians·Sunni Islam |
African emigrants to ItalyincludeItalian citizensand residents originally fromAfrica.Immigrants from Africa officially residing in Italy in 2015 numbered about 1,000,000 residents.[1]Afro-Italians(Afroitaliani) areItaliansborn and are raised in Italy, citizen of African descent or of mixed African and Italian roots.
In 2014 over 170,000 migrants arrived which represented the biggest influx of people into one country inEuropean Unionhistory.[2]A large percentage of them arrive via Africa.
African migrants specifically use Libyan coasts to travel across theMediterranean Seain large numbers, hoping to land on Italian shores.[2]Although departing fromLibya,most are fromGhana,Senegal,NigeriaandEritrea.[2]The route is dangerous and often unsuccessful; in 2015, 2,000 people died crossing the Mediterranean and theLibyan coast guardintercepted many of the boats transporting the migrants fromAfricatoItaly.[2]As this route has gained more and more attention throughout the years, smugglers have started to use alternate routes such asEgypt,the Balkan route fromGreece,and a very risky route from mountain passes in Albania.[3]
In 2016, Italy's finance minister pushed for financial compensation from the European Union for his country's financial losses because of mass migration.[3]As of 2016, the European Union had put forth 1.8 billion euros for the entirety of Africa's refugee efforts in Europe.[4]
Countries of origin
[edit]North Africa
[edit]The largest group of immigrants from Africa are Arabs/Berbers fromNorth Africa,numbering 641,085 official residents in 2016.[1]By country of origin, most of these recent arrivals are fromMorocco(437,485),Egypt(109,871),Tunisia(95,645) andAlgeria(71,765). Italy also has a number of immigrants fromLibya(1,819), territories where Italian expatriates had a presence during thecolonial period.
Sub-Saharan Africans
[edit]Compared to Maghrebis/Berbers from North Africa, the percentage of Sub-Saharan Africans as a proportion of immigrants to Italy from Africa is 35.7% (370,068 official residents in 2015).[1]Most come fromNigeria(98,176),Senegal(77,264) andGhana(48,637). There are also smaller numbers fromEritrea(9,579), fromEthiopia(8,000) and fromSomalia(7,903).
Notable immigrants to Italy
[edit]The following is a list of notable people of African birth who later immigrated to Italy and resided there, either wholly or at least part time.
Sports
[edit]- Audrey Alloh- Athlete born inCôte d'Ivoire
- Zahra Bani- Javelin thrower born inSomalia
- Migidio Bourifa- Athlete born inMorocco
- Paolo Dal Molin- Athlete born inCameroon
- Nadia Ejjafini- Long-distance runner of Moroccan birth
- Jaco Erasmus- Rugby player born inSouth Africa
- Mostafa Errebbah- Long-distance runner of Moroccan birth
- Matteo Ferrari- Footballer born inAlgeria
- Marcello Fiasconaro- Athlete born in South Africa
- Mario Balotelli- Footballer born inPalermoto Ghanaian immigrants
- Claudio Gentile- Footballer born inLibya
- Edwige Gwend- Judoka born in Cameroon
- Leone Jacovacci (1902–1983) - Italian boxer born inSanza Pombo,then in theKingdom of Kongo.Also known as:John Douglas Walker(while serving in theBedfordshire Regiment), andJack Walker.[5]
- Sumbu Kalambay- Boxer born inZaire
- Stephan El Shaarawy- Footballer born inSavonato Egyptian Father and Swiss-Italian mother
- Christian Manfredini- Footballer born in Côte d'Ivoire
- Adam Masina- Footballer of Moroccan birth
- Nicholas Northcote- Cricket player born in South Africa
- Desmond N'Ze Kouassi- Footballer born inGhana
- Gert Peens- Rugby player born in South Africa
- Nicola Pietrangeli- Tennis player born inTunisia
- Jacques Riparelli- Athlete born in Cameroon
Politicians
[edit]- Magdi Allam- Former member of theEuropean Parliament(born in Egypt)
- Toni Iwobi- Former member of theItalian Senate(born in Nigeria)
- Cécile Kyenge- FormerMinister of Integrationand former member of theEuropean Parliament(born inDemocratic Republic of the Congo)
- Souad Sbai- Former member of theChamber of Deputies(born in Morocco)
- Jean-Léonard Touadi- Former member of theChamber of Deputies(born in theRepublic of the Congo)
- Aboubakar Soumahoro- Member of theChamber of Deputies(born in Ivory Coast)
- Dacia Valent- Former member of the European Parliament (born in Somalia)
Music
[edit]- Saba Anglana- singer and actress born inSomalia
- Bello FiGo- singer born in Ghana
- Franco Califano- singer born in Libya
- Nour Eddine- singer and filmmaker born in Morocco
- Laïoung,rapper and music producer, (born 1992, inBrusselsto) Italian father and British mother ofSierra Leoneanorigin
- Bruno Lauzi- singer born inEritrea
- Ma Rue orMaruego- rapper, (born 1992 inMorocco), grew up in Milan, naturalized Italian
Communications and other media
[edit]- Khaby Lame- prominentTikTokkerofSenegalesebackground
Acting, television and filmmaking
[edit]- Elisa Kadigia Bove- actress ofItalian-Somalidescent
- Remo Girone- actor born inEritrea
- Sandra Milo- actress born inTunisia
- Claudia Cardinale- actress born in Tunisia
- Zeudi Araya-Eritrean-Italian actress
- Edwige Fenech- actress born inAlgeriaofMaltesefather and Italian mother
- Youma Diakite- model born inMali
Community activists
[edit]- Josephine Bakhita(c. 1869–1947), Catholicreligious sister,born inSudan;declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 2000
- Michele Amatore(1826 - 1883), born in Sudan, enslaved in childhood, later freed and established in Italy; soldier and sharpshooter inPiedmontesearmy, attaining rank of captain. Decorated for distinguished service in Sicily during acholeraepidemic.
- Adel Smith(1960–2014), controversial Italian anti-Christian activist. Born Emilio Smith inAlexandria, Egyptto an Italian father and an Egyptian mother; raised in Italy as aCatholic,he later converted toIslam
See also
[edit]- Italian Africa
- Italians in Africa
- Black people in Ancient Roman history
- African admixture in Europe
- Somali people in Italy
- Ethiopians in Italy
- Eritreans in Italy
References
[edit]- ^abcdDati ISTAT 2016."Cittadini stranieri in Italia - 2016".tuttitalia.it.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^abcd"African migrants: What really drives them to Europe?".Al Jazeera.6 June 2015.
- ^abAdler, Katya (April 19, 2016)."Mass migration threatens national crisis in Italy".BBC News– via bbc.
- ^"European Union/African Cooperation: the externalisation of Europe's migration policies".robert-schuman.eu.
- ^Fikes, Robert (2015-11-29)."Leone Jacovacci (1902–1983)".Black Past.Retrieved22 June2021.