“The citizenship law is fine as it is, and the numbers of concessions (Italy first in Europe with over 230 thousand citizenships issued, ahead of Spain and Germany) demonstrate it. There is no need for Ius Soli or shortcuts”. This is what we read in a note from the League with the text accompanied by a photomontage with the faces of the leader of Fi, Antonio Tajani and the Democratic secretary, Elly Schlein with the writing: “the Democratic Party relaunches the ius soli, FI opens a gap on the right”.
Because, he explains: «our historical position is in favor of the ius scholae“, or the recognition of Italian citizenship “after a 10-year school cycle”. This is the “position that Forza Italia has always had, with its leader Berlusconi”, the Forza Italia spokesperson reminds Agi Raphael Snows who, therefore, claims the “coherence” of his party. Therefore, if a debate were to open in Parliament on the reform of the law on citizenship, “we will reiterate our historical position on the ius scholae and we will carry it forward”, explains Nevi. After all, “there has been debate on the issue of citizenship for years, everyone in the center-right has their own positions. We have ours, the one that was also carried forward by President Silvio Berlusconi: we are possibilists on the question of the ius scholae. Since it is not a chapter of the government program, we respect the position of others. We do not attack allies: for us the adversary is the left, especially this left that accuses us of racism, mistaking the ius soli for a question of racism or non-racism. They are two completely different things, which must be kept distinct», he concludes.
“First of all, it’s unfortunate that a coalition ally is attacking us. We have reiterated what has always been our line, but it is obviously not part of the government program. Everyone has their own sensibilities and positions. We are against Ius soli but we are instead open to Ius Scholae. As Berlusconi said, we are for promoting integration. And school is the engine of this integration,” Nevi explains. “As a position, we do not want to attack our allies,” he adds. “The left is going backwards. And many moderates are interested in FI precisely because of our liberal and moderate position. From the League, instead of thanking us, we find posts that we don’t like. Our strategy is to hit adversaries, not allies.».
In the meantime, for years now, the political debate has been cyclically rekindled on the need or otherwise to modify the current citizenship legislation. There are various possible paths: from ius sanguinis, which is essentially the one in force in Italy, to ius scholae to ius soli.
– ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP: The law in force, from 1992, provides that Italian citizenship is acquired ‘iure sanguinis’, that is, if one is born or adopted by Italian citizens. Citizenship can also be requested by foreigners who have resided in Italy for at least ten years and possess certain requirements. In particular, the applicant must demonstrate that they have sufficient income to support themselves, that they have no criminal record, and that they do not possess reasons that impede the security of the Republic. The law also provides that foreigners born and legally and continuously resident in Italy until the age of 18 can request it upon coming of age. However, this is a long procedure and does not always have a positive outcome. Finally, one can also become an Italian citizen through marriage.
– IUS SOLI: refers to birth on the territory of the State and is opposed to ius sanguinis, based on the element of descent or filiation. In the countries that apply it, an original citizen is anyone born on the territory of the State, regardless of the citizenship held by the parents.
– IUS SCHOOL: is the principle that links the acquisition of Italian citizenship to the completion of an entire cycle of studies. The topic was at the center of a broad debate between 2017 and 2018, but the text ended up on a dead-end track in the Chamber in 2022. The ius scholae provides for the recognition of Italian citizenship for foreign minors born in Italy or arrived before the age of 12 who have resided legally and without interruption in Italy, and who have regularly attended at least 5 years of study in our country, in one or more school cycles. The necessary school cycle can be extended (the Forza Italia proposal, for example, provides for at least 10 school years)
– IUS CULTURAE: a bill to this effect was approved by the Chamber in October 2015, then stalled in the Senate. It provides for the obtaining of Italian citizenship for foreign minors born in Italy, or who entered before the age of 12, who have “regularly attended for at least five years one or more cycles at schools of the national system, or three- or four-year professional education and training courses with positive results”.