Italy Moves to Reduce Residence Time Required for Citizenship Eligibility
Summary of Key Points
1. Various organizations and MEPs in Italy are advocating for citizenship law reform, aiming to reduce the residency requirement for citizenship to five years.
2. Currently, individuals must reside in Italy for at least ten years before applying for citizenship.
3. The proposed referendum needs 500,000 signatures to be considered by Parliament, with 95,598 signatures (19%) collected so far. The deadline for signature collection is September 30.
The referendum, introduced by the center-right Forza Italia party, seeks to shorten the residency requirement for foreigners to obtain Italian citizenship. According to the existing law, foreigners born in Italy cannot obtain citizenship without living in the country for at least ten years.
The new proposal intends to make it easier for migrants to acquire citizenship, with some officials suggesting that anyone who completes ten years of compulsory education in Italy should be eligible. The current law mandates that foreigners must legally reside in Italy for ten years to gain citizenship, but the referendum proposes halving this period to five years, a provision that was in place prior to 1992 and is standard in several other EU states.
Italian Ministry of Justice:
To move forward, the referendum requires 500,000 signatures, and thus far, 19% of the necessary signatures have been collected. If passed, the change could affect thousands of Italian residents.
Low Chances of Parliamentary Discussion:
According to data from the European Website on Integration, as of July 2022, there were 865,388 non-Italian students attending schools in Italy, with high school enrollments rising by 13,000. Despite the proposal's support, it is unlikely to be discussed in Parliament. Previous attempts, such as in 2015, saw limited backing from organizations and officials.
Lega MP Rossano Sasso stated that while the issue has been discussed since the summer, it is unlikely to reach parliamentary debate. He noted that the focus remains among opposition parties, not the majority. He referenced the 2022 elections, where Italians did not vote for debate on the ius scholae.
Supporters of the proposal include organizations like Italiani senza Cittadinanza, Conngi, Idem Network, and political parties such as Più Europa, Possibile, and Radicali Italiani.
The Justice Ministry’s referendum page clarifies that other citizenship requirements, including language proficiency and financial stability, would remain unchanged for applicants.