A recent report has revealed that the number of Italian migrants is on the rise. There are currently five million Italians abroad with a 64.7 percent surge registered over the last 12 years. In addition, the number of Italian emigres over 50 who are unemployed, including parents or grandparents who have joined family abroad, has increased over the last year.
The number of Italians living abroad is continuing to rise. Over the past 12 years, from 2006 to 2018, their number has risen by 64.7 percent, from just over 3.1 million officially registered as Italians residing abroad to 5,114,469 as of January 2018.
They represent 8.5 percent of the nearly 60.5 million residents in Italy. From January to December 2017, their number grew 3 percent: nearly 243,000 Italians left the country, including 52.8 percent, or 128,193 people who moved their residence outside Italy, according to the ''2018 Report on Italians in the World'' drafted by the Foundation Migrantes.
Overall, emigres over 50 are on the rise (+20.7 percent aged between 50-64; +35.3 percent between 65-74; +49,.8 percent aged 75-84 and +78.6 percent over 85). The report highlighted the change and selected new categories of Italian migrants including mature unemployed migrants, migrant parents or grandparents rejoining family or people who chose to move abroad when they retire.
More Italians over 50 are leaving
Mature unemployed migrants, parents or grandparents rejoining family members abroad, people leaving again upon their return or pensioners who chose to live abroad are the new categories of Italians over 50 who have left the country over the past year, according to the report.
Over the past year, those who left Italy included youths (37.4 percent) and young adults (25.0 percent). However, the most significant growth was registered among the over 50 (+20.7 percent between the ages of 50 and 64;+35.3 percent aged 65-74; +49.8 percent aged 75-84 and+78.6 percent over 85).
The study said the majority of these migrants are unemployed (''mature unemployed migrants'') or still too young for retirement and in need of finding a job to support their family.
Migrants who are parents or grandparents joining family
The study reported ''new strategies of survival'' among parents and grandparents who are spending increasingly long periods of time abroad with their children and grandchildren who have already moved. An example is the Italian restaurant 'La mia mamma' (my mother) in London which was created by the mothers of young Italian immigrants in the British capital. Every three months, the mothers working at the restaurant change and so do the menus, based on which Italian region they come from.
Another category concerns migrants who, after spending years abroad, have returned to Italy to retire but, after losing a spouse, choose to go back to the country of emigration where the rest of the family now lives. The last profile is the migrant who has retired, including those with high pensions as well as those who are on the brink of poverty, and then moves to another country where the cost of life is lower and where access to medical care and co-housing for the elderly is better.