Immigration to Italy slowing, says Istat More African refugees, but fewer Europeans, South Americans

(ANSAmed) - Rome, January 27 - The number of new migrants to come to Italy dropped by 9.1%, or 35,000 people, in 2012 over the previous year, national statistics agency Istat said Monday.



New arrivals two years ago totaled 351,000 people.



Romanians topped the list at 82,000 new immigrants, followed by the Chinese (20,000), Moroccans (20,000), and Albanians (14,000).



Immigration dropped from Moldavia ( down 41%), Ukraine (36%), Peru (35%), and Ecuador (-27%). The number of African citizens grew by 1.2% over 2011, along with Asians, in part due to people fleeing war zones in the Ivory Coast, Mali, Pakistan, and Nigeria.



There was also a drop in registrations by Italian citizens living abroad, from 31,000 in 2011 to 29,000 the following year, according to Istat. (ANSAmed).



