According to an American newspaper, the pandemic has increased the demand for dual citizenship
Americans are discovering that having a second citizenship or permanent residence in another country can be a good thing in times of pandemic.
Some see this as a kind of insurance policy, a way to guarantee freedom of movement in the future, says the The New York Times, in an extensive report.
According to the publication, the new free time at home allowed people to engage in a laborious research and ordering process, something that had been on their to-do lists for years.
“The pandemic really allowed me to get to the basics,” Juliana Calistri, 46, a Nashville resident, said in an interview. “You look at what you need in life and what’s most important. It's my family, not things. This identity and this culture is exactly who and what I am.”
Growing up in Chicago, Calistri was surrounded by all things Italian: music, food and language. Grandparents left Bagni di Lucca, Italya, and although his father was born in Chicago, he spoke Italian before he spoke English.
“If you ask me to bake, I will make lemon cookies, not chocolate oatmeal raisin cookies,” she said. And he adds: “Being Italian has always been my identity.”
Calistri plans to move to Italy with her 9-year-old daughter and her 73-year-old mother as soon as she receives her new passport.
The fall of the almighty
The United States passport is not as powerful as it used to be.
According to a consultancy heard by the NYT, the mobility index for the American passport – more destinations without the need for a visa – falls from 171 countries in 2019 to 87 in 2020 (but the number was updated to 85 after the report).
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