The Rise and Fall of the Right to Education for Foreign Students. Constitutional Responsibilities and Academic Hospitality in Times of Crisis

The right to education is a universally recognized human right, enshrined in international instruments as a cornerstone of personal development, social mobility, and democratic participation. Yet its effective enjoyment, particularly for individuals with a forced migration background, increasingly depends on economic contingencies and labour-market imperatives. This contribution argues that ensuring access to higher levels of education for forcibly displaced persons remains one of the most tangible expressions of constitutional responsibility. In Italy, the constitutional value of the right to education has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the Constitutional Court, which has emphasized that education constitutes both an individual entitlement and a collective interest essential to the democratic order. From this perspective, the research aims to provide an overview of the Italian university system’s approach to promoting the right to education for migrants. Referring to few but significant case studies, the analysis highlights both positive outcomes and areas for improvement. It ultimately argues that academic hospitality should no longer be conceived as an emergency measure, but rather as a structural component of university governance and public responsibility.