The gap between the first Afghans who sought refuge in Italy and the latest newcomers is vast. The history of Afghan asylum-seeking in Italy might with some cynicism be summarized under the title: âFrom the Aristocracy to the Lumpen-Proletariat of Political Asylum-Seekersâ. Reasons for this are multiple, as we will see, but let us first get acquainted with the chronology and the specificities of this relatively new episode in the decades-long history of Afghan exile.Īfghan refugees in Italy: From âpureâ transit to a more mixed approach The number of Afghans seeking asylum in Italy, rapidly growing for a decade, is now beginning to taper off. This year is in fact seeing the continuation of a trend which first became apparent in late 2016. Read our previous separate dispatch aboutÂ unaccompanied Afghan minor refugees in Italy here.Īfter years of growth, now is a good moment to take stock of the phenomenon of Afghan migrants in Italy. This research was supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundations. AANâs Fabrizio Foschini and Jelena Bjelica have been looking at the path of Afghan migration to Italy in the last decade and at the direction where it is heading. In the end, only a fraction of those arriving remain for good. Afghans in Italy remain a mostly âtransitionalâ community, despite the thousands seeking and obtaining asylum. For others, it is a stopgap to obtain legal papers on their way to another place. For some, Italy is a safe second-choice when they could not reach their intended destination or have been rejected from there. Throughout the last ten years, not only has Italy become a fixture in the mental map of Afghan migrants, but it has seen its role changing from that of a country of mere transit to one of destination. Numbers grew particularly rapidly between 20 and only in recent months have they slowed down. The number of Afghan asylum seekers in Italy has been steadily rising over the last decade. Refugees shafts, inside the Silos, Trieste 2016.

How to get to the asylum in destiny