The Chamber of Deputies of Italy rejected this Wednesday (11) an amendment that established the principle of “school law” (“school law”), that is, the granting of citizenship for children of immigrants born in the country and who have completed a certain period of study in national schools.
The text had been presented as an amendment to a security bill by the opposition centrist Action party and received 126 votes in favor and 169 against, including from the center-right Forza Italia (FI) party of the foreign minister. Antonio Tajani, defender of “jus scholae”.
The FI justified the contradiction by arguing that it is working on a broader bill on the subject. “It is a topic that deserves more attention than a last-minute amendment to a bill that deals with security,” said conservative MP Paolo Emilio Russo.
The leader of Ação, Carlo Calenda, replied that it is “crazy to vote against one’s own proposal”.
The debate over “jus scholae” gained traction in Italy after Tajani publicly defended a model that would allow children of foreigners born in the country to obtain citizenship after completing 10 years of studies in the national education system.
The idea has the support of the opposition, but faces strong resistance from the nationalist right, represented by the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the League party, led by Infrastructure and Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Tajani's colleagues in the government.
Currently, the rules are governed by the principle of “jus sanguinis” (“right of blood”): anyone who has Italian ancestors, be they parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., is a citizen.
Children of immigrants can only obtain citizenship when they turn 18, even if they were born and raised in Italy, which, according to critics of this system, marginalizes children and adolescents who have never known any other place.
The right, in turn, claims that the “jus scholae” could open the door to a supposed “invasion” of immigrants. According to a study carried out by the Association for the Development of Southern Italian Industry (Svimez), the change in the rules would benefit around 48 children. (Handle)
