Image Credentials: Image Title: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Source: (Grok, xAI) Date: May 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Grok, xAI), and it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer with Agencies
ROME — May 21, 2025 – The Italian parliament has passed a controversial new law that tightens the eligibility criteria for people claiming Italian citizenship through ancestry, significantly altering one of the most generous citizenship-by-descent laws in Europe.
For decades, Italy has operated under the principle of jus sanguinis, or “right of blood”, granting citizenship to individuals with an Italian ancestor who lived after March 17, 1861, the date marking the unification of Italy. That broad provision enabled millions around the world, particularly in the Americas, to apply for Italian passports based on family lineage.
Under the revised legislation, which was ratified by parliament on Tuesday, applicants must now demonstrate a closer familial connection to Italy: specifically, they must have at least one parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen by birth.
The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the change is aimed at reinforcing the authentic bond between Italy and those seeking citizenship, while curbing what it describes as “abuse” and “commercialisation” of Italian passports, a growing trend in recent years as foreign applicants sought EU mobility benefits through distant ancestry.
“This reform does not eliminate the principle of jus sanguinis,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized in a statement. “But it sets precise limits, especially to avoid abuse or phenomena of commercialization. Citizenship must be a serious thing.”
Italy has seen a sharp rise in citizenship claims over the past decade. From the end of 2014 to the end of 2024, the number of Italian citizens living abroad increased by 40%, jumping from approximately 4.6 million to 6.4 million, according to official figures.
As of March 2025, more than 60,000 legal cases for citizenship verification were pending in the Italian court system, creating significant backlogs and straining consular resources abroad.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the legal overhaul will allow consulates to streamline services and focus efforts on those with a “concrete connection” to Italy.
Critics argue the changes unfairly penalize individuals who may have strong cultural ties to Italy but lack immediate familial documentation. In countries like Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, where millions of people claim Italian ancestry, the law is likely to drastically reduce the number of successful citizenship applications.
Supporters, however, say the move is necessary to protect the integrity of Italian citizenship and prevent it from becoming a transactional commodity.
For those already in the process of applying, it remains unclear whether the new rules will apply retroactively, though officials have indicated that pending applications will be assessed under the criteria in effect at the time of submission.
The reform marks one of the most significant shifts in Italy’s citizenship laws in modern history and is likely to reshape the global Italian diaspora’s relationship with the country in the years ahead.