Rubagotti highlighted the progress made in consular services offered, cultural promotion and relations with the Italian community in New South Wales.
The event held last Wednesday, January 16, is intended to become an annual meeting, not only to showcase the consulate’s achievements, but also to outline its future plans.
“The core of the consulate’s activities remains the provision of services to citizens,” said Rubagotti.
“With over 58,000 Italians registered with AIRE in New South Wales (a 4 per cent increase since 2023), the consulate manages a community comparable in size to Italian cities like Potenza or Molfetta.”
Among the most notable achievements was the fact that 4213 Italian passports were issued in 2024, a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Thanks to the consulate’s efficiency, citizens can obtain a passport within hours, especially in emergencies.
Regarding electronic ID cards, which the consulate began issuing for the first time in 2024, approximately 150 were issued.
Over 600 Italian citizenship applications were processed in 2024, exceeding the 376 received that year.
This allowed the Consulate to eliminate a backlog that previously required up to 18 months of waiting time, reducing processing times to a matter of weeks.
One of the key issues addressed by Consul Rubagotti concerns a new interpretation by the Court of Cassation that has significantly altered the criteria for obtaining Italian citizenship.
Under this interpretation, minors of Italian citizens who lost their Italian citizenship by acquiring another, such as Australian citizenship, can no longer automatically obtain Italian citizenship.
This change rectifies a prior inconsistency that allowed children born in Italy to retain citizenship while those born abroad lost it.
Now, in both cases, citizenship is no longer transmissible. Although this change stems from a judicial interpretation rather than legislative modification, it is likely to reduce the overall number of applications.
The consulate is implementing a plan to inform affected citizens by directly contacting those with scheduled appointments to determine whether they meet the new criteria.
This proactive approach not only informs ineligible applicants before they waste their time by coming to the consulate, it also reduces appointment wait times, making the process more efficient for everyone.
Regarding civil status, there was a 24 per cent increase in the registration of births, marriages, civil unions and deaths.
Another critical aspect of consular activity involves assisting Italian nationals. In 2024, the consulate managed 20 repatriations of remains and ashes, supported nine Italian detainees in Australia with legal assistance and family contacts, and helped young Italians experiencing psychological difficulties during work stays in Australia to return to Italy.
The past year also witnessed significant cultural activity, with over twelve events organised. Among the highlights was a conference on Italian dialects in February, aimed at becoming an annual celebration of Italy’s linguistic richness.
There was also a series of March conferences featuring the director of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, who visited Australia for the first time. These conferences, held in collaboration with The Dante Alighieri Society and the Institute of Culture, explored Renaissance art, cultural sustainability and Leonardo da Vinci.
Additional cultural milestones included a sold-out Easter concert featuring Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater at Leichhardt Town Hall, the Republic Day celebration at Doltone House and the visit of the Italian Navy’s training ship Amerigo Vespucci to Darwin, with events at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
The consulate also launched its Instagram page in 2024, strengthening its digital presence and reaching a younger, more connected audience. Meanwhile, its Facebook page was revitalised to provide more accessible information on events and initiatives.
To improve consular services in remote areas, missions to Wollongong and Lismore resulted in the issuance of 16 and 39 passports respectively in a single day, reducing the need for long trips to Sydney.
Plans for 2025 include further missions to Newcastle and Byron Bay.
In conclusion, Consul Rubagotti emphasised that the Consulate General in Sydney is not only an administrative hub, but also a cultural and economic bridge between Italy and Australia.
With the commitment of its team and collaboration with the community, 2024 was a year of growth and innovation.
The prospects for 2025 are equally ambitious, with new projects aimed at further strengthening the ties between the two nations.
