On March 28, 2025, the Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, approved a significant reform to the citizenship laws, specifically targeting the ius sanguinis principle, which allows individuals of Italian descent to claim citizenship based on their ancestry. This reform was introduced during a Council of Ministers meeting and aims to tighten the criteria for obtaining Italian citizenship, particularly for those living abroad.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized that while the principle of ius sanguinis will remain intact, the new regulations will impose strict limits to prevent abuses of the system. "The citizenship must be a serious matter," he stated, highlighting the government's intention to strengthen the bond between those seeking citizenship and Italy itself.
Under the new regulations, individuals born abroad will only be eligible for automatic citizenship if they can prove that at least one of their parents or grandparents was born in Italy. This marks a significant shift from the previous law established in 1992, which allowed descendants of Italian emigrants, even those from the fourth or fifth generation, to obtain citizenship without any direct ties to the country.
The reform is a response to a notable increase in citizenship claims from Italian descendants, which surged by 40% from approximately 4.6 million to 6.4 million between 2014 and 2024. Notably, the number of pending judicial proceedings for citizenship verification has exceeded 60,000, with countries like Argentina and Brazil seeing dramatic increases in citizenship recognitions.
For instance, Argentina saw its recognitions rise from around 20,000 in 2023 to 30,000 in 2024, while Brazil's numbers jumped from over 14,000 to 20,000 in the same period. The Venezuelan community also reported almost 8,000 recognitions in 2023. It is estimated that between 60 and 80 million people of Italian descent worldwide could potentially apply for citizenship under the current law.
The reform will be implemented in two phases. The first phase involves immediate changes through a decree-law, while the second phase will introduce a comprehensive reform of the citizenship requirements and procedures. Citizens born and residing abroad will now be required to maintain real ties with Italy, exercising their rights and duties as citizens at least once every twenty-five years. This could include actions such as voting, renewing a passport, or updating their identity documents.
Moreover, the process for applying for citizenship will undergo a significant shift. Instead of applying through consulates, residents abroad will now submit their applications to a centralized office at the Farnesina, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This change is intended to streamline the process and improve efficiency, allowing consulates to focus on servicing current citizens rather than processing new applications.
There will be a transitional period of about one year to organize the new office. The government aims to ensure that these changes do not adversely affect those who have already submitted applications before the new regulations took effect. Anyone who submitted a documented application by midnight on March 27, 2025, will still be recognized as an Italian citizen.
In addition to these changes, the reform also seeks to address the issue of "commercialization" of Italian citizenship, where agencies charged exorbitant fees to facilitate citizenship applications for individuals with distant Italian ancestry. Tajani noted that the new rules aim to curb these practices, which have led to a surge in applications from individuals who may not have a genuine connection to Italy.
One striking example of the previous system's leniency is the case of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, who is considered Italian due to his great-great-grandfather emigrating from Recanati in the late 1800s. Messi was able to obtain Italian citizenship through expedited channels, despite admitting he had little knowledge of his ancestral hometown or its notable figures.
As the Italian government moves forward with these reforms, it seeks to balance the historical principle of ius sanguinis with the need for a more stringent and meaningful connection between Italian citizens abroad and their homeland. The changes reflect a broader trend in immigration policy, emphasizing the importance of maintaining genuine ties and responsibilities to the country.
In summary, the new citizenship laws represent a significant evolution in Italy's approach to citizenship for its diaspora. By limiting automatic citizenship to direct descendants and imposing requirements for maintaining ties to Italy, the government aims to ensure that citizenship remains a meaningful status rather than a mere formality.
