About 337,000 departures in ten years. And in more than one out of three cases they are graduates. The exodus of young Italians abroad seems to have no end, as Sergio Mattarella spoke again in his speech on the occasion of June 2 broadcast by Rai Italia, the channel dedicated to Italians on the border. “Working abroad – said the Head of State – It should no longer represent, for anyone, a mandatory option, but an opportunity, especially for young people”. And it depends on the Republic, warns Mattarella, «let it be a free choice».
Not a “brain drain”, in short, but a “circulation of talent”. That they return to their land after having been trained in other countries, if they wish, “feeding a virtuous circuit of skills and competences». A problem of which the government is aware, which the Minister of the University Annamaria Bernini is working on. Who has repeatedly expressed the hope that the “brains”, once they have migrated abroad to be trained, can return to Italy.
The numbers of the “leak”
The figures, however, speak for themselves. According to data from the latest Istat report “Internal and international migrations of the resident population”, from 2012 to 2021 more than 1 million residents emigrated from Italy, of which approximately a quarter have a university degree. Percentage, that of graduates, which increases if we look only at the young group. In the period included, 337,000 boys and girls aged between 25 and 34 left Italy. One hundred and twenty thousand of whom were university graduates.
The situation does not improve much if yield data is also taken into account in the calculation. According to Istat, in fact, repatriations in the same age group during the period 2012-2021 stopped at around 94 thousand, of which around 41 thousand had a university degree. In short, the difference between departures and returns remains negative: there are 79,000 young graduates who, once they have left the country, have decided never to return, perhaps because they are attracted by the better working conditions and opportunities found in the foreigner
Negative balance for the South
However, the problem of “brain drain” does not affect the whole country in the same way. According to Istat, in fact, the northern regions “take back” more than 116,000 children from the south and the islands, while 13,000 move towards the center. Ultimately, the worst negative balance is that of the South. Which, adding the departures abroad and to the other Italian regions, says goodbye in ten years to more than 150,000 young graduates. That’s why Mattarella has turned the light on the subject again. Both the head of state and the government are aware of the urgency to intervene to preserve the country’s talents.
Source : IL Messaggero
