A discussion has erupted in Italy about new naturalization rules. The debates were sparked by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, head of the ruling Forza Italia party, who wants to introduce a bill to parliament to change citizenship rules.
According to the draft, migrant children should be granted citizenship if they have attended school in Italy for at least ten years. Currently they have to wait until they turn 18.
“To be Italian you need to know the Italian language, Italian history, geography and our constitution. That is why we say that after ten years of compulsory education you can become an Italian citizen,” Tajani explained when presenting the bill on Saturday afternoon in Milan.
The head of Italy’s right-wing populist League, Matteo Salvini, joined the debate and emphasized that in his opinion there is no reason to change the naturalization law. “We are the European country that grants the most citizenship in all of Europe.
The League is preparing a bill to revoke the citizenship of those who commit crimes in Italy. The question of more or less citizenship is not a priority for Italians at the moment,” the former Interior Minister argued.
The opposition wants citizenship based on place of birth
The Democratic Party (PD – the strongest opposition party) advocates civil rights based on place of birth. This right is called “Ius soli” (law of the country of birth) in Latin legal terminology.
In Italy, a 1992 naturalization law is currently in force, based on the “Ius sanguinis” (right of blood descent): anyone born and living in Italy but not a descendant of Italians can only apply for Italian citizenship if he/ they are of legal age, they must then meet a number of conditions. The left-wing parties believe that this makes their integration more difficult.
The share of foreigners is 8.7 percent
About five million foreigners with a residence permit live in Italy. They make up 8.7 percent of the total population of 59 million people. By comparison, in Austria, the share of foreigners in the local population is 19.7 percent or 1.8 million people, according to Statistics Austria.
Source: Krone
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