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Bill Aims to Limit Access to Italian Citizenship for Great-Grandchildren, Also Requiring Language Proficiency and Legal Residency in the Country.
A bomb is about to explode in the universe of Italian descendants. The long-awaited Italian citizenship may be out of reach for many people with the possible change in law in Italy. A bill, presented by Italian senator Roberto Menia, is causing anxiety and concern among those who have the right to dual citizenship, especially Brazilians.
This bill seeks to limit the right to Italian nationality by descent, the so-called jus sanguinis (Right of Blood), to the fourth generation, that is, great-grandchildren. If that weren’t enough, other requirements are being proposed: proficiency in the Italian language, with the obligation of a B1 Certificate, and a legal residency of at least one year in Italy.
Concern Among Brazilians
This news has left many people worried, especially Brazilians who dream of securing Italian citizenship for themselves and their descendants. After all, changes in the law in Italy may end one of the great benefits of being a descendant of Italians: the possibility of maintaining a connection with the land of ancestors through citizenship.
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A 180-meter ship with a deck the size of a football field was christened to carry 25,000 tons of giant energy modules around the world.
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To erect the “Baleia” building on the richest avenue in Brazil, he bought 35 houses, paying with trips to Disney, a truck, and even an apartment, waited over 20 years, and today the complex is valued at R$ 2.5 billion.
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The land belonged to her great-great-grandfather and was worth R$ 25 per square meter during the pandemic; the couple sold 250,000 m² for the nearly R$ 30 billion project that is transforming the “neighbor of Jericoacoara,” and today a house in the region goes for R$ 4.2 million.
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Labor shortage reaches the truck drivers’ area: Brazil is already facing a deficit of 120,000 drivers, 65.1% of transport companies feel the impacts, and Mercedes-Benz strengthens training in the face of the new generation of technological trucks.
To better understand the scenario, Dr. Rodrigo Salgado Martins, a Brazilian and Portuguese lawyer specializing in European Union issues, commented on the uncertainties still surrounding the bill. “It is still unclear how exactly the text will be approved, and when it will be approved,” he stated.
According to him, since January, the bill has been under discussion in the Italian legislature, but there has been no firm positioning on when or if it will be put on the agenda this year. “We are keeping a close eye,” the lawyer added.
Acceleration of Citizenship Processes
While the change in law in Italy has not been confirmed, many are racing against time to secure Italian citizenship before the new rules come into effect. Dr. Rodrigo, who is also the CEO of Instituto EuropaOnline, revealed that, following a recent change in the jurisdiction for adjudicating Italian judicial processes, the procedures are faster.
“The timeframe we gave to those who sought us was one year and eight months from distribution to judicial sentence. Currently, with the new law, the jurisdiction has become decentralized across all courts in Italy,” he explained.
Challenges Ahead with the Bill in Changing the Law
In addition to monitoring the change in law in Italy, Rodrigo Salgado also faces other challenges as Vice-President of the Association of European Attorneys – AEA. In his role, he assists people interested in immigrating to Italy or obtaining Portuguese citizenship. Among the sensitive issues he deals with is the end of the so-called ‘expression of interest’ in Portugal, which allowed tourists who decided to stay in the country to start their legalization process.
Another significant challenge pointed out by him is the search for old certificates and documents, something that may become even more crucial if the new law in Italy is approved, complicating the process of recognition of Italian citizenship for many descendants.
While the final decision is not made, the advice of experts is clear: those who have the right to Italian citizenship and have not yet started the process should hurry. The window of opportunity may be closing quickly.
