Citizenship Law in Italy Fuels an Identity Crisis

Italy's Invisible Citizens: A Nation's Identity at a Crossroads

Sonny Olumati experiences a fundamental contradiction every day. He was delivered in Rome and has spent his entire 39 years in Italy. The country is the only home he has ever known. Yet, the Italian state refuses to claim him. On paper, officials classify him as Nigerian, reflecting the passport he holds. This status means the activist and dancer's right to stay depends entirely on the validity of his current residence permit.

This precarious existence feels like a constant rejection from his homeland. It is a sentiment he shares with countless others who are Italian in language, culture, and heart, but not by law. This shared frustration fuelled a significant, recent push for change. Campaigners fought for a nationwide plebiscite to reform the country's stringent citizenship laws. The hope was to create a more inclusive and just path for those who contribute to the nation's fabric yet remain on its margins.

The Weight of Blood Right

Italy’s citizenship framework is one of the strictest in western Europe. It hinges on the principle of ius sanguinis, or "right of blood." This system grants citizenship primarily to those with ancestral ties to Italy, regardless of their place of birth. Consequently, a person with a distant Italian relative living abroad can often claim a passport more easily than someone born and educated in Italy to foreign parents.

For non-EU nationals without Italian heritage, the path is long and arduous. The law requires ten years of continuous legal residency before an individual can even submit an application. This process itself can then drag on for several more years due to bureaucratic delays. For activists like Sonny Olumati, the journey has been a multi-decade ordeal, with his file once being lost entirely and his case now perpetually "pending."

A Referendum's Defeat

A recent citizens' initiative sought to challenge this rigid system. Activists and civil society organizations gathered enough signatures to trigger a nationwide vote. The central proposal was to halve the residency requirement for naturalisation from ten years down to five. Such a change would have immediately affected up to 2.5 million foreign residents and aligned Italy's laws more closely with neighbours like France and Germany.

However, the referendum faced a formidable obstacle. For the result to be legally binding, a quorum of 50% plus one of all eligible voters had to participate. This high threshold proved insurmountable. Ultimately, the referendum failed due to low voter turnout, with final participation hovering around just 30%. The failure marked a significant defeat for reformers and a victory for the status quo.

Image Credit - BBC

A Campaign of Silence

The referendum’s failure was not accidental. It was the result of a deliberate strategy by the country's right-wing government. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, openly stated her opposition to the proposal and declared she would abstain from voting, a move seen by critics as a call for a boycott. Her allies in the governing coalition were even more direct, encouraging citizens to visit the coast rather than attending a polling center.

This approach created a strange political landscape. A substantial movement for a 'No' vote did not exist, which prevented a well-rounded public discussion. Instead, the government pursued a strategy of strategic silence. Professor Roberto D’Alimonte from Rome's Luiss University explained that the rational choice for the government was to avoid raising awareness, guaranteeing the half-participation requirement would not be reached. This tactic effectively suppressed a national conversation on a vital issue.

The Demographic Dilemma

Italy is facing a severe demographic crisis. The nation has one of the lowest birth rates in the world and a rapidly ageing population. In 2024, deaths outnumbered births by 281,000, and the country saw a record-low number of new babies born. This "demographic winter" poses a long-term threat to Italy’s economic stability and the sustainability of its public finances and pension system.

Economists and demographers argue that immigration is a crucial part of the solution. Foreign workers are essential to fill labour gaps and contribute to the economy. However, the current government’s focus remains on cutting irregular migration, even while it has increased the quantity of work visas to meet labour demands. This contradiction highlights the deep political challenge of reconciling economic necessity with nationalist ideology.

Economic Pillars, Political Ghosts

The economic contribution of immigrants in Italy is undeniable. Foreign workers generate nearly 9% of the country's GDP, amounting to a value of €164 billion in 2023. They are a vital component of the workforce, particularly in key sectors like construction, agriculture, and hospitality. Migrants are also more likely to be of working age and active in the labour market compared to the native population.

Despite these clear contributions, many remain in a state of legal limbo. They pay taxes and sustain the social security system but are denied the full rights and security that citizenship provides. The plebiscite was not just about accelerating a procedure; it was about acknowledging the vital role these individuals play. Supporters argued it was time to alter the public view of them from strangers into fellow Italians.

A Painful Exclusion

For many, the denial of citizenship is a source of deep personal pain. Insaf Dimassi, a 28-year-old PhD student in Bologna, calls herself an "Italian who lacks citizenship." Her father came to Italy for employment when she was a baby; she and her mother came later. Italy is the only country she has ever truly known, shaping her into the person she is today.

Just twenty days following Insaf's 18th birthday, her parents received their Italian citizenship. This crucial timing meant she was no longer eligible for automatic inclusion and had to start her own application from scratch. The moment she truly understood her "outsider" status came when she received an invitation to seek a local political office, only for her parents to point out that she was ineligible to participate.

Image Credit - BBC

The Weight of Words

The debate over citizenship is frequently charged with inflammatory rhetoric. Roberto Vannacci, a coalition partner of Prime Minister Meloni from the League, a far-right political group, accused the referendum's supporters of devaluing their citizenship and destroying their identity. This language taps into deep-seated fears about national identity and cultural change, which are potent forces in Italian politics.

Sonny Olumati directly attributes the two-decade delay in his personal request to racism. He points to comments made in 2023 by the agriculture minister, a member of Meloni's political party, who talked about a "racial substitution of Italy." While Meloni has consistently refuted this charge, the rhetoric from within her coalition sends a powerful message to people like Sonny, reinforcing their sense of exclusion.

Practical Hurdles and Lost Opportunities

The lack of citizenship creates significant practical barriers in daily life. Lacking Italian status, Sonny Olumati is barred from seeking public sector jobs. He has also faced immense difficulty with simple administrative tasks like acquiring a license to operate a vehicle. The consequences extend to professional opportunities as well. After being selected for a reality series filmed in Honduras, his arrival was delayed by a fortnight due to the bureaucratic nightmare of securing the correct paperwork.

These hurdles represent a tremendous waste of potential. Insaf Dimassi’s inability to run for office is a loss for her community. Every person unable to pursue a career in public service or fully participate in civic life because of their documentation represents a missed opportunity for the nation as a whole. The system not only marginalises individuals but also deprives Italy of their full talents and engagement.

A Tale of Two Citizenships

The paradox of Italy’s citizenship law is starkly illustrated by who it does recognise. In 2023, the government granted over 217,000 citizenships. Prime Minister Meloni used this figure to argue that Italy’s system is already "very open." However, a closer look at the data reveals a different story. A significant portion of these new citizens are individuals of Italian descent from countries like Argentina, many of whom have never set foot in Italy.

While people with distant ancestry gain passports, individuals who have lived, worked, and studied in Italy for their entire lives are left waiting. This discrepancy has led the government to recently tighten the rules for descendants, requiring applicants to have at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy to qualify. This move, however, does nothing to address the plight of long-term residents.

The Second-Generation Struggle

The children of immigrants, often referred to as the "second generation," face a unique set of challenges. Numbering over a million, these young people are culturally and linguistically Italian. Yet, the law treats them as foreigners until they turn 18, at which point they can begin the lengthy application process for themselves. This creates a profound identity crisis for many.

They often feel torn between their parents' heritage and the only society they have ever known. Many report feeling constantly judged and not fully accepted by their peers. This sense of alienation can lead to frustration and even a decision to leave Italy for other European countries where they feel their skills and identity are better recognised. This represents a brain drain of young, talented individuals who Italy can ill afford to lose.

Image Credit - BBC

A Stifled National Conversation

The period before the plebiscite was notable for its lack of media focus. The state-run broadcaster, RAI, which a close associate of the prime minister oversees, gave minimal coverage to the election. This media silence, combined with the government's boycott, effectively prevented a robust and balanced national debate from taking place. Activists and opposition parties accused the governing coalition of deliberately dampening public interest.

Many plebiscites in Italy have not succeeded due to low turnout, making the quorum a powerful tool for those wishing to block change. Riccardo Magi of the centre-left +Europa party, which championed the referendum, lamented that "organised abstentionism has won." He argued that the quorum itself has become an obstacle to democracy and should be abolished.

The European Context

Italy’s ten-year residency requirement for naturalisation is one of the longest in the European Union. The failed referendum sought to align the nation with places like Germany, France, and Spain, which have shorter waiting periods. Unlike Italy, many European countries have incorporated elements of ius soli ("right of soil") into their laws, naturalizing children born on their territory, often with certain conditions.

Proposals for a "tempered" ius soli or a ius scholae (citizenship through schooling) have been debated in the Italian parliament for years but have consistently failed to pass. These reforms would grant citizenship to children born in Italy or who have completed a cycle of education there. Despite public polling suggesting majority support for conditional birthright citizenship, political opposition from nationalist parties has proven to be an insurmountable barrier.

The Aftermath and the Future

The plebiscite's failure was a clear political victory for Giorgia Meloni’s government. Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, declared that "the left has been defeated" and that "citizenship is not a gift." The result has emboldened the right-wing coalition and weakened the opposition, which struggled to mobilise voters. For now, the laws that leave millions in a state of prolonged uncertainty remain firmly in place.

Maurizio Landini, the secretary-general of the CGIL trade union federation that helped spearhead the referendum, conceded defeat but stressed that the fight was not over. He described the result as a sign of a "clear democratic crisis" but insisted the issues remain "on the table." This sentiment is echoed by activists on the ground.

A Continuing Battle

For Sonny Olumati, the unsuccessful ballot is not a conclusion but a starting point. He argues that even though the referendum did not pass, the campaign has forced a necessary conversation regarding the role his community plays in the nation's society. The struggle for recognition will continue, shifting away from voting booths and back into communities, online spaces, and the cultural arena where artists and activists work to change hearts and minds.

This resilience is characteristic of a generation that has grown up navigating a complex identity. They are using social media, art, and grassroots organising to build new platforms and demand their rights. They refuse to remain invisible. The matter of what defines an Italian remains unresolved; it has simply entered a new phase of a long and determined struggle.