Through an emergency measure, using a decree-law and justifying it with concerns around national security, the government drastically restricted the right of iure sanguinis, effectively limiting it to the children of Italian citizens born in Italy.
Meanwhile, grandchildren of Italian citizens born in Italy are denied access to Italian citizenship if their grandparents hold another citizenship, effectively excluding dual citizens.
The new rules impose insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles without any prior notice.
Those excluded from the restrictions are those who have already submitted a citizenship application or had booked an appointment to do so by March 27.
March 27 is an arbitrary and obviously impossible date for the vast majority of citizens abroad, who were unaware of the impending changes.
This is a brutal crackdown that breaks with Italy’s legal tradition of dual citizenship and disregards the emotional, cultural and historical value of its bond with millions of Italian descendants around the world. It is a bitter chapter for those who feel Italian.
