Italy's tighter citizenship rules to affect Italian minority in Slovenia
Koper, 10 May - The Italian ethnic minority living in Slovenia and Croatia would like Italy to amend its law that tightens conditions to obtain Italian citizenship because it abolishes automatic citizenship eligibility for descendants of Italian citizens born outside Italy. Applicable since the end of March, the law can still be changed by 28 May.
Koper
The city of Koper, one of the Slovenian coastal towns where the Italian ethnic minority lives.
Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA
File photo
The law stipulates that only descendants of those who were born in Italy or who have lived there for at least two years would be entitled to Italian citizenship.
"Our grandchildren would thus lose the automatic right to Italian citizenship and would have to go through the whole procedure again to prove they are members of the Italian ethnic community," said Maurizio Tremul, head of the Italian Union, which represents the Italian minority in Slovenia and Croatia.
The organisation has addressed a letter to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani but is still awaiting a reply.
The minority would like to supplement the law with a provision saying the change does not apply to descendants of those who have already obtained Italian citizenship on the basis of the citizenship legislation from 2006.
On the other hand, nothing changes for those who already have Italian citizenship.
The Italian government decided to tighten citizenship legislation after applications from those living outside Italy skyrocketed, resulting in a 40% increase in the number of Italian nationals living abroad over a period of ten years.
The law tightens conditions for Italian citizenships in several areas for those living outside Italy and for foreign citizens who marry an Italian citizen.