The Covid-19 pandemic is responsible for delays in processes Regarding the recognition of Italian citizenship for descendants of people from Trentino, at least according to the Undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Wanda Ferro.
In response to deputy Fabio Porta, she argued that “the processing of processes, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, was delayed” between 2020 and 2021.
The applicants have been waiting for the processes to be finalized for almost 20 years.
“Our concern regarding the delay in finalizing applications for recognition of Italian citizenship, submitted by descendants of Trentino residents based on Law No. 379 of December 14, 2000, is confirmed by the response from the Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior,” Porta said in a statement sent to Italianismo.
According to the Italian government, 40.137 processes of recognition of Italian citizenship presented by descendants of Trentinos have been finalized.
Another 400 practices are being analyzed and around 1.800 are still waiting in line. But the number is much higher.
The Ministry's accounts do not include requests requested by consulates and which have not yet been registered in the system. The Italian government representative did not provide the exact number, however, she assured that the deadlines for investigating applications are constantly being “improved”.
“We can do nothing but wait, twenty years after the entry into force of a State law, for the improvements announced by the government to be translated into concrete facts, responding to the fair expectations of citizens”, concluded Porta.
Law No. 379/2000, of December 14, 2000, regulated in November 2002, granted the right to Italian citizenship to descendants of Trentino people, from that time. Great Austro-Hungarian Empire, which dominated part of northern Italy. The law was in force until December 19, 2005 and was extended until December 19, 2010.
Since then, descendants of Trentino immigrants no longer have the right to recognition of Italian citizenship.
