University Corridors for Refugees (UNICORE) in Italy is an educational programme promoted by Italian universities with support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, charitable organisations such as Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, Centro Astalli and other partners.
It was first initiated by the University of Bologna in 2019 with UNICORE 1.0 and other Italian universities later joined the programme. Now, more than 40 universities are part of this project.
Five years since its creation is a good time to review its main achievements and highlight some critical issues that need to be addressed.
Refugees of all nationalities
The programme aims to provide scholarship opportunities to refugee students to pursue their masters degree programmes at various universities in Italy and equip them with necessary skills in multiple fields.
The programme targets refugees of all nationalities from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. For refugees, it is an excellent opportunity to rebuild their lives, be a part of a global community and contribute to their local community.
Conversely, it is also an opportunity for universities to diversify their academic environment and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that encourage inclusive education.
Since the project started in 2019, approximately 173 students have benefited from it (from UNICORE 1.0 to 5.0). Among these 173 students, around 20 students have already graduated. With UNICORE 6.0 launched on 1st March 2024, with approximately 68 beneficiaries expected to be admitted, the number of refugee students that will benefit from this project will be 241.
This shows Italian universities’ commitment to refugee literacy and to contributing to a better future for refugees despite the logistical challenges they jointly face with the students from pre-departure and post-arrival to social integration.
Post-graduation challenges
While the UNICORE programme continues to make a positive impact, with more universities joining the project and support from Italian authorities, post-graduation challenges appear to be pressing issues that need special attention, especially finding a job, sorting legal documents and integrating into Italian society.
Refugee students arrive in Italy through international channels and are considered international students. Italian authorities only give them a study visa and residence permit for study purposes. After graduation, the students can convert this study permit into a work permit if they get a job.
However, this is a short-term solution as most students enter Italy using a United Nations Convention Travel Document (CTD) issued by first asylum countries, which is usually not renewable abroad. Once the CTD expires, refugee students’ opportunity for employment in Italy or outside is limited as they cannot renew residence permits for work reasons with an expired CTD.
At this point, their only options are to return to their first asylum countries, ask for asylum in Italy or move elsewhere in Europe to seek asylum there.
It is essential to highlight that asking for international protection upon arrival is impossible. This is because refugees cannot have two statuses (international student and asylum seeker) for the UNICORE programme. They may lose their scholarship if they do.
Asking for asylum after completion of studies is one of the most stressful processes after achieving what is seen as a life-changing goal. The process is full of uncertainty.
Getting an identification appointment can take months. After the identification process, there is another wait of several months to formalise the asylum application process. This creates stress and prevents graduates from applying their skills as they wait for documentation to stay legally in Italy. There is no clear timeline, as the speed of the process depends on the local authorities.
Imagine you have the necessary skills needed in the job market and end up in limbo because you are still determining what will come up next as you deal with the asylum process. Through the process, the social support provided by UNICORE partners (university and local charity organisations such as Caritas and Diaconia Valdese) can make a significant difference.
Possible solutions
To limit post-graduation barriers, a coordinated approach is necessary to ensure that UNICORE students can access the legal documents they need and are supported to successfully integrate into Italian society and the workforce. There are three ways in which the current system could be improved.
First, asylum requests for UNICORE students should be a priority upon arrival for those who want to stay in Italy. Note that asylum requests can take more than a year to be processed. To do so, there is a need for consensus among UNICORE partners (universities, UNHCR and the Italian authorities) that UNICORE students are not categorised as ‘international students’.
This is because their legal status is not the same as that of other international students who usually have a consular office in Italy where they can request a new passport once it expires. A study visa is not the best option for UNICORE students. The best option is to give these refugee students a special visa (a humanitarian admission visa) as this complies with refugee law.
Second, an agreement is needed among UNICORE partners to address financial funding complications for those who want to seek asylum upon arrival. At the end of their studies, many graduates ask for asylum in Italy or other European countries, so why don’t we give them a chance to apply for asylum upon arrival to make life easy after graduation?
Third, UNICORE partners must intensify their relationship with employers in different sectors. This includes partnerships with employers to allow UNICORE students to intern in various sectors.
Most universities allow their students to intern in different organisations, but it is generally up to the student to find out where to go. There are only a few where the university organises the internship.
This is not easy for UNICORE students as they lack connections. Therefore, establishing partnerships with employers to allow students to intern in their organisations is necessary to facilitate UNICORE students’ access to work experience that could lead to potential employment.
The need for collaboration
While UNICORE provides excellent educational opportunities for refugee students, addressing post-graduation challenges for UNICORE students in Italy is crucial for their future careers and integration into society.
The UNICORE programme has achieved important objectives, but the students’ untapped potential could be met through taking a series of relatively easy steps. Collaboration and commitment are required from various stakeholders to ensure that UNICORE students have equal opportunities to succeed and use their acquired skills in the country where they have completed their studies.
Puot Nyang Both is a former UNICORE student, member of the advisory board at EU-Passworld and a trainee at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute, Italy.
University World News
