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African emigrants to Italy

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Afro Italians
Depiction of a Black man in Venice (Venice, 1496)
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]

A group of black African men sitting or squatting on a low bench next to a glass wall in a large city square. In the rear can be seen a street with a tall rectilinear skyscraper
Ghanaianimmigrants inMilan

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]


Politicians[edit]

Music[edit]

Communications and other media[edit]

Acting, television and filmmaking[edit]

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]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdDati ISTAT 2016."Cittadini stranieri in Italia - 2016".tuttitalia.it.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^abcd"African migrants: What really drives them to Europe?".Al Jazeera.6 June 2015.
  3. ^abAdler, Katya (April 19, 2016)."Mass migration threatens national crisis in Italy".BBC News– via bbc.
  4. ^"European Union/African Cooperation: the externalisation of Europe's migration policies".robert-schuman.eu.
  5. ^Fikes, Robert (2015-11-29)."Leone Jacovacci (1902–1983)".Black Past.Retrieved22 June2021.
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