Italian MEP Elena Donazzan, from the Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party, criticized the government reform which imposes new limits on the recognition of citizenship for descendants of Italians abroad. The change was approved on Friday (28) and affects, above all, fourth and fifth generation Italians.
“It’s a cultural mistake of the center-right,” Donazzan said. “These people have Italian blood, they love their family name and their homeland. It’s a waste not to allow them to rebuild that bond,” he told Corriere del Veneto, in this Saturday.
For the MEP, from the same party as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, this measure is unfair, especially considering public spending on foreigners who enter Italy irregularly. “Monetizing our natives is wrong,” he said.
Donazzan argued that the process should be simplified, not made more difficult. According to her, documents such as old parish records should be valued. “If there is a certificate of descent, the door must be open, as long as there is strict control of the documents,” she said.
In her role in the regional government, she helped create partnerships with institutions such as the Salesians, with the aim of training workers of Italian descent before they arrive in the country. “Our demographics and the demand for labor go hand in hand,” she explained.
For Donazzan, prioritizing descendants in accessing the job market is strategic. “No company wants workers without linguistic literacy. The Oriundi have more cultural and professional affinity,” she said. She also advocates that Chambers of Commerce and associations abroad help organize this flow.
According to the deputy, the path to recovering this link with Italians around the world already exists. “Associations bridge the gap between supply and demand. Once structured, the process flows naturally,” she added.
Read the full interview:
MEP Donazzan, municipalities have been asking for a review of the citizenship law for some time now and the government has now implemented it. Do you agree?
“It’s a shame, I say it’s a shame. It’s good to want to avoid unclear paths and extreme situations, I’ve always been convinced of that. But, voluntarily, it’s important to rediscover your roots, even your great-great-grandparents. I saw this in Veneto, I saw fourth, fifth generations loving their surname, their country, and it’s a shame that this isn’t allowed to be rebuilt.”
The rate for descendants will also be increased. Do you agree?
“Monetizing off our descendants is wrong. Especially if cultures and identities different from ours invade us and we are the ones paying for their health, food and documents. A fourth-generation Italian is told no, you have to pay for wanting to enter legally. I think this is a cultural mistake of the center-right, which should, on the contrary, favor identity.”
But the problem in the municipalities was evident, don't you think?
“The numbers are so high because the ‘Venetians in the world’ have done a great job raising awareness. Of course, there are many requests in municipalities with a high migration rate, such as our mountainous region.”
But isn't five generations too much?
“I find it funny that we accept anyone who arrives, even if they don’t know how to say the oath in Italian. But we are outraged by the fifth generation of descendants, with Italian blood. I believe that identity is a founding element, it is a sense of belonging, it helps to work and live better.”
So, what is needed for you, ma'am?
“Make citizenship simpler, not more complicated. The procedures in the municipalities must be made easier, the parishes have very old and useful records. We must be very strict with the passport trade. But if there is a certificate of descent, that person should have the doors open. It is a path that must also be reinforced with strict controls on the documents and generations of those who want to come to Italy to live and work legally.”
In the region, you had worked on preferential routes to bring Italian labor from abroad. What is your proposal?
“It’s been a conviction of mine for a long time: our demographics and the demand for labor go hand in hand. And who can be more qualified and similar to us? No company or professional association asks for a worker who doesn’t have linguistic literacy, in addition to their skills.”
And how did you proceed?
“We opened channels with the ‘Venetians in the world’, we made an agreement with the Salesians, which then became the backbone of Prime Minister Meloni’s Mattei Plan in the chapter on human capital. The Salesians continue to be the subject responsible for formation in the places of origin, so that people arrive who are prepared culturally, linguistically and professionally.”
And were there results?
“Some have arrived, others have been identified. The ‘Venetians in the world’ and the Chambers of Commerce can open applications for availability and help with the documents, creating a meeting point with the territory, between supply and demand. Once we structured the route, it became almost spontaneous and the dialogue between the individual and the associations continues. Rebuilding a link with these Venetians in the world, in my opinion, is very important.”
