The call for greater transparency, fairness and traceability in Italian consular services has officially reached the Senate of the Republic as one of the top petitions currently under parliamentary review.

The petition will be presented by Alberto Cicala, President of Mater Africa and a key figure in Italy-Nigeria relations, during the institutional roundtable organised by Civicrazia, the Mediterranean Macroregion, and the National Association of Italian Civic Defenders (ANDCI).

It highlights booking portals showing no availability for long periods, appointments obtained through informal channels at disproportionate costs, lack of verifiable criteria, absence of safe channels to report irregularities and difficulties even for foreign institutional delegations that often lack dedicated procedures.

According to estimates based on the average volume of visa requests, at least 14,000 Nigerian citizens attempt to secure a consular appointment every year.

Although Italian law states that booking an appointment must be free of charge, many applicants report paying around 250 Euros through informal intermediaries.

Consequently, it is estimated that over 3.5 million Euros may have been taken from Nigerian families at least a year for a service that, by law, should be free.

A figure of this magnitude, if confirmed, raises inevitable questions about transparency and the management of appointment availability.

The event, hosted in the prestigious Sala Cenci of the Senate, focuses on “Human Rights in the Third Pillar of the Mediterranean Macroregion” and brings together the authors of the main petitions already announced in the Senate chamber and now under further examination by the committee.

The opening and closing remarks will be delivered by Avv. Giuseppe Fortunato, the national coordinator of Civicrazia.

Cicala’s contribution is based on direct field experience rather than theory.

In several high-pressure countries, access to Italian consular services has become unpredictable, inconsistent and at times opaque, with concrete consequences for families, students, workers and humanitarian cases.

“This is not an administrative detail; it is a matter of rights and dignity,” Cicala states in the speech he will deliver in the Senate.

According to Cicala, the petition does not ask for privileges, but for clear and verifiable rules, including public and transparent criteria for appointment allocation, predictable and uniform timelines, as well as priority for families, minors and emergencies.

It also includes a safe channel to report abuses or irregularities, independent oversight to ensure fairness and traceability, administrative continuity beyond the rotation of consuls and senior officials.

Cicala said the goal was to make the system more just, humane and predictable.

The issue also has direct implications for Africa and for Italy’s strategic initiatives, such as the Mattei Plan.

The plan relies on institutional cooperation, regulated mobility and stable partnerships.

However, if access to consular services remains unpredictable, if African delegations lack dedicated channels, and if mission planning becomes uncertain, the strongest projects risk slowing down.

The credibility of an international partnership also depends on the transparency and reliability of its administrative services. A clear and traceable consular system is essential for the Mattei Plan to function effectively on the ground, without informal obstacles or delays that undermine cooperation.

The petition is supported by Civicrazia, Mediterranean Macroregion, National Association of Italian Civic Defenders, and institutional and civic delegates attending the event. (The Guardian)

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