Italy’s government has made changes to the citizenship process for people of Italian descent, narrowing eligibility to only those with Italian parents or grandparents. This move is in response to the overwhelming number of applications that have congested Italy’s courts, consulates, and municipal offices. The stricter regulations aim to prevent abuse by those seeking Italian citizenship mainly for the benefits of a powerful passport, including easier travel within the European Union and the United States.
The government’s decision to restrict bloodline citizenship has surprised some on the political right who argue for the preservation of Italian cultural and ethnic identity. However, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized the need to prevent cheating and the exploitation of a cottage industry profiting from citizenship applications.
The surge in citizenship applications has put a strain on Italy’s infrastructure, with courts struggling to process requests and small towns inundated with demands for historical records. The move towards stricter regulations comes as part of a larger trend in Europe of rethinking who can be a citizen, as countries grapple with the challenges of migration and demographic changes.
Italy also plans to pursue legislation that would allow the children or grandchildren of Italian citizens to obtain citizenship more easily, as a way to balance the restrictions on bloodline citizenship. Overall, the government’s decision reflects a broader effort to address the challenges of migration and citizenship in a changing world.
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