Key Takeaways
The Foreign Minister has revealed that five individuals with Italian citizenship have had their citizenship revoked. This action was taken because these individuals were affiliated with terrorist organizations and had acquired their citizenship unlawfully. The Minister is also advocating for the implementation of ius solis, which would grant Italian citizenship to the children of migrants.
Five individuals, primarily from Lebanon, have had their Italian citizenship revoked due to their connections to the Hezbollah terrorist organization. This announcement was made by Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani, who also noted that these individuals had acquired their Italian passports through unlawful means, according to Schengen.News reports.
“We are revoking the citizenship of five individuals affiliated with Hezbollah who obtained their passports through an agency that falsely claimed they had an Italian ancestor. These are fraudulent schemes that come at a significant cost.”
— Antonio Tajani, Foreign Minister of Italy.
Italian law stipulates that foreigners with an Italian ancestor, such as grandparents, are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship. Holding Italian citizenship, which also confers EU citizenship, allows these individuals to travel freely across EU member states.
This Incident to ‘Help’ Foreign Minister Push for “Ius
Solis” Citizenship
In his press statement, Minister Tajani expressed dissatisfaction with the existing citizenship law that permits individuals with Italian ancestors to acquire citizenship. He has long opposed this legislation and is likely to leverage this situation as a catalyst for proposed changes, advocating for ius italiae.
Political parties in Italy are divided on the issue of citizenship law: whether to grant citizenship based on descent from Italian ancestors or to allow citizenship for those born in Italy.
Currently, non-Italian citizens born in the country can obtain citizenship if at least one of their parents is or becomes a citizen. According to an Istat report titled “Children and Youths 2023,” 58.5 percent of young Italians aged 11 to 19 support granting citizenship to children of migrants born in Italy.
Italy Is One of the Leading Countries in EU for
Granting Citizenship
According to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, Italy accounted for 22 percent of all new citizenships granted in the EU in 2022, issuing citizenship to a total of 213,700 individuals.
Following Italy, Spain granted citizenship to 181,600 people (18 percent), while Germany issued 166,600 citizenships (17 percent).
The data also indicated that there were 3.6 citizenship acquisitions per 1,000 residents in Italy in 2022. Additionally, Moroccans, Syrians, and Albanians were the primary recipients of EU citizenship that year.
