When Leaving Is a Desire, Not an Escape
Why an Experience Abroad Can Be the Best School of Life
The original article, in Italian, by Matteo Cerri can be read here 👇🏻
Going abroad shouldn’t always be seen as an attempt to run away. Many young people leave not out of frustration, but out of desire, curiosity, and the need to challenge themselves. For some, it may be the first true step toward personal growth: learning how to manage on your own, how to build new networks, how to see the world through different eyes. When young people themselves – as revealed by the Ipsos survey published in Il Sole 24 Ore – point to international mobility as one of the most valuable experiences for their development, perhaps it’s not a warning sign, but an educational opportunity we can no longer ignore.
Today, six out of ten young Italians say they are willing to move abroad, driven by motivations that go well beyond salary: quality of life, culture, the will to learn. They’re not just “brains on the run.” In fact, most come from ordinary backgrounds, often from middle- or lower-middle-class families. It’s less about rejecting their country than about constructing their own future.
Of course, the numbers from recent years are telling: between 2011 and 2023, over half a million young people left Italy, and only 31% have returned. But these figures should be read with perspective: similar trends exist in many other European countries, sometimes with even higher rates. The point isn’t to stop people from leaving – it’s to make returning an appealing and viable option.
Italy’s paradox is that it often reacts with suspicion to incentives for return or benefits for those who start a business. This creates a toxic climate of envy and mistrust. But if we don’t support those who create jobs, who take risks, who have the courage to come back and invest in themselves and their communities, the departure will indeed become permanent. The State must support those who create work – not just those who seek it. And when young people see real opportunities for growth and development in Italy, they do come back. Willingly.
The stories we share every day in ITS Journal confirm this: it’s not just about “brains” or “talents,” but ordinary people who return from abroad with new ideas, hands-on skills, and a passion that can become a real asset for the country. This is not an escape. It’s education. And if we learn to value it, it can also become hope.
The stories of those who return teach us that (almost) all of them come back feeling improved – and eager to build something new, right here in Italy.