Turkish students start to win legal battles over Italian visa rejections

Nearly 1,000 Turkish students accepted into Italian universities for undergraduate or graduate programs faced challenges in securing their visas, but recent court rulings in Rome offer some relief. According to Euronews’ Turkish-based media outlet, positive developments are emerging regarding the visa-related grievances that students began addressing in November.

Euronews reported that the court in Rome has begun ruling in favor of students who filed appeals after their educational visa requests were rejected. So far, 10 students have won their cases, and four have received their visas following the court’s decision.

A regional administrative court in Rome ruled that several students’ visa applications must be reassessed, stating that rejections based on unfounded reasons such as “risk of asylum” or “financial instability” were unjustified. Of approximately 40 Turkish students who filed lawsuits, 10 have won their cases, with several already receiving their visas.

"The students revealed to Türkiye Today that they feel like they are being punished by the Italian Consulate in Istanbul for bringing the issue to the attention of national media.

The sudden rise in rejection letters in the last few days, after three to four months of waiting,… pic.twitter.com/NKpxOK39WW

— UNSA ITALY (@UnsaItaly) November 29, 2024

Visa issues threaten educational pursuits

Initial rejections or final refusal letters for the students’ visa applications cited reasons such as “asylum risk,” “financial insufficiency,” or “unreliable financial resources.”

Following these setbacks, Turkish students, who had been dealing with this grievance since November 2024, resorted to legal action.

Since then, students have mobilized through social media platforms, held press conferences, and focused attention on the actions of Italy’s diplomatic missions in Türkiye, expressing frustrations over visa issues that threaten their educational pursuits.

Joined by concerned parents, the students even placed a black wreath at the consulate in November to protest, demanding timely resolutions from Italian authorities. These efforts have raised public awareness about their situation.

Exclusive: Documents reveal irregularities in visa applications at Italian Consulate in Istanbul@turkiyetodaycomhttps://t.co/6n5tLLdZgc

— UNSA ITALY (@UnsaItaly) November 29, 2024

Mishandled visa applications

In an exclusive report, Türkiye Today highlighted that nearly 1,000 Turkish students, many accepted into top Italian universities, accused the Italian Consulate in Istanbul of mishandling their visa applications. The report indicated the following issues:

• Long waiting times: Students faced delays of three to four months for responses, only to be met with rejections.
• High rejection rates: More than 50 rejection letters were issued after November 24, with only a few students granted visas.
• Erroneous rejection letters: Some rejection letters contained misspelled names or incorrect university and faculty details.
• One student reported receiving a rejection despite holding a green passport, which typically allows visa-free travel within the Schengen area.

Despite the court rulings, delays in visa processing remain a persistent problem. The situation has drawn attention not only from advocacy groups but also from Italian lawmakers, who stress the importance of adhering to international conventions that protect educational rights.

The Italian Foreign Ministry has attributed the delays to a surge in applications from Türkiye, which saw a nearly 37% increase last year.