Read Post
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:15:46 -0700
whiteguyinchina from private IP, post #12373795
/all
Italy ruling tells millions with Italian roots they have lost the right to citizenship
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/14/travel/italy-citizenship-law-restrictions-constitutional-court
Subscribe
Travel
Travel News
7 min read
Italy ruling tells millions with Italian roots they have lost the right to citizenship
By
Julia Buckley
14 hr ago
A new ruling makes it likely that descendants of Italians will no longer be able to acquire their ancestors' citizenship.
A new ruling makes it likely that descendants ...
Comment
Since Italy became a country in 1861, there has been a surefire way to know who is and isn’t an Italian citizen: look at their parents.
The first page of the civil code, published in 1865 as the rulebook to Europe’s newest country, declared that a child born to an Italian citizen was an
Italian citizen.
This founding tenet of the Bel Paese now looks set to change — ending diaspora dreams of returning to the mother country, and meaning that Italians who move
abroad risk denying citizenship to their descendants.
On Thursday the Constitutional Court said it would rule in favor of the government and its controversial 2025 law that restricted citizenship for those born
abroad. The law — issued last March via emergency decree — had been challenged by four judges, who questioned its constitutionality.
Now, after the first of four hearings was held on Wednesday, a statement issued by the court indicates it will support the government’s position.
“The Constitutional Court has declared the questions of constitutional legitimacy raised by the Turin court partially unfounded and partially inadmissible,”
the court announced. It is expected to release a detailed verdict within the coming weeks.
The announcement will be a devastating blow for those who believed the court would uphold Italy’s 160-year history of citizenship by descent, or ius
sanguinis.
“It was an extremely clear, harsh intervention, so I had a hope that it would be judged in breach of some constitutional points, but that wasn’t recognized
by the court,” professor Corrado Caruso, one of the lawyers who made a case against the new law, told CNN.
Italy’s citizenship rules have been bound up with its diaspora since the country was formed.
Previously, Italians who moved abroad could pass citizenship to their children as long as they didn’t renounce or lose it, often by acquiring another
nationality. What many now see as the country of the “dolce vita” was once an impoverished nation that, between 1861 and 1918, saw 16 million citizens
emigrate for a better life.
Many who left out of necessity rather than volition considered themselves Italian for life, and chose to retain their citizenship while living and working
abroad — meaning that citizenship, along with cultural traditions, was passed down the generations.
The Italian Constitutional Court's decision supports a new law introduced last year by the Italian government.
The Italian Constitutional Court's decision supports a new law introduced last year by the Italian government. Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto/AP
Established in 1865, the principle of ius sanguinis was confirmed in Italy’s first targeted citizenship law in 1912, which added a clause stipulating that
Italians born and residing abroad would retain their citizenship, and then again in a law in 1992.
However, a law introduced on March 28 last year by emergency decree states that only those with a parent or grandparent born in Italy will be recognized as
citizens. It also effectively outlaws dual citizenship for the diaspora, as that parent or grandparent must have held solely Italian citizenship at the time of
their descendant’s birth, or at their own death if it came earlier.
‘It was politically huge’
There have long been complaints on both sides about foreign-born descendants acquiring citizenship.
For those born abroad, obtaining recognition is a long and costly process. They must source birth, marriage and death certificates from their ancestors’
hometowns (which can take years, at a cost of up to 300 euros per document), prove that nobody in their ancestral line lost their citizenship, then win an
appointment at their local consulate, where waiting lists can stretch to 10 years — if they are able to get a spot on it.
Hiring a lawyer to sue the government can speed up the process, but costs can run to the tens of thousands of euros for a family.
What’s more, women were not able to transmit citizenship until 1948, meaning descendants of Italian women who gave birth before then are blocked from
recognition. Since 2009 many have successfully sued the state for gender discrimination — if they can afford it. They too have now seen the door slammed
shut.
Meanwhile, Italy’s regional courts are clogged with thousands of citizenship cases, while consulates are inundated by applications.
Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italian citizens residing abroad increased from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, Italy’s foreign ministry said at the time of
passing the decree. Argentina’s Italian consulates processed 30,000 applications in 2024, up by 10,000 from the previous year.
Related article
Grotta-palazese-polignano.jpg
These Americans are clinging to hope for Italian citizenship
6 min read
“The granting of citizenship was perceived as problematic for various reasons,” said Caruso, who is a professor of law at Bologna University. “There were
lots of requests, the consulates couldn’t keep up. There was an idea that descendants had tenuous links to Italy over time. They were considered to not take
part in civil duties — they weren’t in the country, they didn’t pay tax. What’s more, there was a geopolitical question. These citizens could move
around the world on their Italian passports, so maybe there was some pressure from Italy’s historical allies.
“I wasn’t optimistic about our chances, because I could tell that the government and their lawyers felt extremely strongly about this reform.
It was politically huge. So there were interests at stake.”
Citizenship by descent has not always been so unpopular. At the Tokyo Olympics, 12% of the Italian national team were born abroad, including 10 in the US. And
three months before introducing the new decree, Argentina’s right-wing president Javier Milei, an ally of prime minister Giorgia Meloni, was granted
citizenship by descent on a state visit to Italy.
A shrinking population
While Italy slams the door on its diaspora, the country continues to deal with a shrinking and ageing population.
In 2024, a record 155,732 Italians emigrated, and over half a million residents left the country between 2020 and 2024. Most emigrants left from Sicily, where
enterprising local authorities have tried to redress the balance by tempting back Italian descendants from abroad. In Mussomeli, a town known for its one-euro
homes project, Argentinian doctors were recruited to staff the ailing local hospital. Such projects will no longer be possible under the new citizenship
restrictions.
“This has cut loose a vast number of descendants who had requested recognition but hadn’t been given an appointment,” said Caruso. “There is now
disparity within nuclear families. One sibling might have citizenship, but another couldn’t get the same treatment.”
Sicily has been appealing to members of the Italian diaspora to return after years of depopulation.
Sicily has been appealing to members of the Italian diaspora to return after years of depopulation. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images
The state’s legal counsel successfully argued that descendants who had, until now, been considered to have been born citizens, were in fact born with the
expectation of citizenship — and if they hadn’t officially claimed it by 2025, they had a “fictitious link” with the country and had lost their right to
it.
Verdicts of the constitutional court cannot be appealed and Caruso was downbeat. “I don’t want to lose hope,” he said. “Maybe it’s not the end of the
war but it will be a difficult war.” Although the constitutional court still has the two other referrals to consider, he believes that descendants’ last
hope will be at EU courts. “Anyone who’s already filed their case should ask the judge to refer it to Luxembourg,” he said, adding that he did not advise
anyone who had yet to file to go ahead.
‘A long battle’
Not everyone is so downbeat, however. Another citizenship lawyer, Marco Mellone, told CNN that things could still change.
“This doesn’t mean the new law is 100% valid and forever,” he said. “There is still space for argument for cases brought by Italian judges to the
constitutional court. In July 2025, the constitutional court issued a judgment saying that descendants had a right to Italian citizenship at birth, from birth.
They changed their opinion I suppose. It is very weird.”
Mellone plans to take aim at the new law in his separate April 14 hearing at the Court of Cassation, Italy’s highest legal authority, whose opinion trumps
that of the constitutional court.
Related article
Italy changes law on right to claim citizenship through great-grandparents
4 min read
“This is a very sad day for millions of people, but I didn’t study law for 25 years to see this kind of thing happen,” he said. “Descendants were born
Italian citizens. If you are a citizen at birth, you have a right that nobody can touch. You can’t say, what I said when you were born was not true, you’re
not an Italian citizen anymore. You can’t say, I was joking. This is the first step in a long battle.”
He advised that descendants with a case already going through the courts should request a postponement until the fall. For those who haven’t yet filed, he
suggested waiting.
“With this judgment … it’ll be much more work for lawyers now than before, but I’m still confident,” he said. “A little less confident than last
week. But while the battle is lost, the war is not.”
Comment
Up next
Trump asks Supreme Court to let protections for Haitians expire
4 min read
Grazie mille! Italy helps USA advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals
2 min read
Homeland Security pushes for access to restricted federal database on child support, employment information for millions
4 min read
Biden freed a Florida man in his final days in office. A year later, the state pressed charges — for the same crime
5 min read
Most popular
Italy ruling tells millions with Italian roots they have lost the right to citizenship
Two weeks of war: Inside Trump’s risky decision to attack Iran — and the scramble to contain the fallout
Vance’s distance from the Iran war is getting more conspicuous
Search CNN...
Subscribe
Sign in
Listen
Watch
US
World
Politics
Business
Markets
Health
CNN Underscored
Entertainment
Tech
Style
Travel
Sports
Science
Climate
Weather
Ukraine-Russia War
Israel-Hamas War
Watch
Listen
Games
About CNN
Follow CNN Travel
Download the CNN app
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information
Ad Choices
Accessibility & CC
About
Subscribe
Newsletters
Transcripts
Help Center
© 2026 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.
CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:32:34 -0700
whiteguyinchina from private IP
Reply #11993833
Its an interesting decision especially given that Italy is seeing people move away and the society is aging. Its probably a tax govt revenue thing. Italy
doesn't have global income tax right zerosugar? So why extend benefits of Italian citizenship when it doesn't add to tax revenue. Wouldn't be surprised if they
walk it back and allow citizenship if people agree to file income taxes in italy.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:47:04 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #18266072
Thanks for posting this! What’s crazy is this is Meloni’s government under Tajani doing this shit not leftists. Even Renzi’s government didn’t do this!
I’m happy I have my citizenship. Note, they are restricting to just second generation. I still think wrong. They are discriminating against Latin Americans
who got it at high numbers. Sadly, some of these people need Italian citizenship because where can they go with a Brazilian or Argentine passport? Their
grandfathers or great grandfathers were to these countries when they were still prosperous. Nobody is more proud to be Italian than these people. Meanwhile,
they made it easier for children of refugees to get citizenship so as long as they are born in Italy. In 50 years, Italians won’t exist anymore. They will be
like France or England now. Meloni is dumb af. She is like the first PM with no formal education and Tajani is a remnant of Berlusconi. He is a dumb boomer and
when people tried to debate him on the topic including Brazilian officials, he sounded dumb af and didn’t even understand what they were talking about.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:49:21 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #17508375
BTW Meloni is trying to pass another dumb law where they can have a panel of professors or other non lawyers punish judges. This will lead to outside influence
of the judiciary. I voted no. She is flipping out telling people that if they don’t vote “yes,” judges will be free to let criminal migrants free and all
this stuff. Her dog whistles are ridiculous. Hilariously, she made it easier for migrants and their kids to get citizenship and destroyed Italy forever.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:56:06 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #14579128
This Brazilian website talks all about Tajani’s dumb law. They have articles in English.
https://italianismo.com.br/en/na-corte-advogado-chama-decreto-tajani-de-uma-perfeita-confusao-a-italiana/
https://italianismo.com.br/en/midia-italiana-ignora-julgamento-historico-sobre-cidadania/
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:59:35 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #12184334
What’s sad is so many Italians are unemployed or underemployed. Diaspora Italians including even Latin Americans who go to Italy are typically middle to upper
class people who spend money and stimulate their economy and for them to alienate them is sad!!! They want to give citizenship though to any kid whose mom comes
to Italy on a boat and births them there.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:05:24 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #15856623
It’s fine to give refugees and kids of refugees status to work and not live in the shadows, but citizenship should be only for Italians and the goal of
refugees should be to return to their homelands
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:07:24 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #13408669
It’s diaspora Italians who kept dialects alive. Italy themselves did nothing to protect historic minorities, but now they want to give citizendhip to anybody
who completes 5 or 10 years of school in the country and as long as they speak Florentine to a certain extent. That’s so wrong and even far left governments
never did that.
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 16:18:48 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #19322059
@zerosugarTest To answer your question, many diaspora Italians in USA,
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia pay more taxes than Italians in Italy year round. Many still own property and never sold their property unlike many
Italians in Italy who were broke and sold ancestral lands. The point is why hate on these diaspora folks and their descendants? Many migrants and kids of
migrants who live in apartments and don’t own any property are definitely not paying taxes, but they want to extend citizenship to them.
The reality is the embassies were clogged with citizenship applications especially in Latin America and those Italian consular workers are lazy af. However,
their laziness shouldn’t mean people are denied constitutional rights. I am of the belief that Tajani’s law is unconstitutional. You are born Italian and
then you just recognize your citizenship. Tajani (a right winger mind you) basically ended just sanguinis. His ius scholae is backdoor jus soli and it’s sad
that the right wing media ignore it.
Let children of migrants born in Italy inherit the citizenship of their parents unless the parents are stateless. They can have documents to work and live
legally, but citizenship should be only for Italians. I’m even against giving it to Romanians or other Europeans who marry Italians. You should have to be
Italian or belong to a historic ethnic minority that have been in Italy before unification (i.e. Arbëreshë, Griko, Ladin, Occitan, Austrian) in order to get
Italian citizenship.
Replies require login.
