The debate on changing the Italian Citizenship Law will return to Parliament, says Italian senator and undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Merlo.
This time, according to him, the discussion is for a good reason: to correct the prejudice in the Law, which discriminates against women by not placing them on an equal footing with men for the transmission of citizenship. Currently, the right is only guaranteed to those born after 1948.
“We are going to face the debate because it was taboo and I will not hide that. First, they will discuss the members of the CGIE and Committees (groups that bring together Italians abroad) and, soon, we will take the issue to Parliament to update a law from 1912,” the politician told the Italian news agency ANSA.
Debates should begin in March and Merlo admits that perhaps the requirements “will have to be updated”, depending on what “Parliament and the grassroots” decide. And this is the danger.
Limiting the rules of Italian citizenship is a desire of the government's allies of Salvini, commanded by the ultranationalists Alloy e Cinque Stelle Movement.
“We will not allow them to put an end to 'jus sanguinis'”, he said, referring to the principle by which citizenship is granted to descendants of Italians born outside the country through the so-called “right of blood”.
Late last year, a draft decree attributed to Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini proposed imposing limits on the granting of citizenship jus sanguinis (right of blood) to descendants of Italians. Despite the scare, the alleged amendment was removed from the text that went forward for approval, with some amendments.
As most relevant changes to the decree-law for citizenship The following were approved: the requirement of prior knowledge of the language through a proficiency test for spouses wishing to apply for Italian naturalization; an increase in the fee charged by the Italian government to carry out naturalization, which rose from 200 to 250 euros; and an increase in the time the State has to finalize the process to a maximum of four years; previously, it was two.
Updated at 20:16 pm, 03/01/19
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