Italians reject proposal to make citizenship easier for immigrants, according to survey by Euromedia Research.
When asked whether they supported reducing the time of legal residence required to apply for citizenship with automatic transmission to minor children from 10 to 5 years, 52,4% responded against, while 35,6% were in favor, and 12% did not express an opinion.
The proposed jus scholae, which aims to grant citizenship to children after completing a school cycle in Italy, received the most support, with 44,2% in favor. However, the majority of respondents remain against granting citizenship within shorter timeframes than the current ones. This is a clear stance that politics cannot ignore.
Alessandra Ghisleri, director of Euromedia Research, stressed that “citizenship without commitments does not appeal to the majority of Italians.”
Impact on policy
The survey reveals that the majority of Italians are against changes to the current citizenship requirements, directly impacting the Italian political landscape.
The result weakens initiatives such as those of the Forza Italia party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.
According to MP Paolo Emilio Russo (FI), his party has already drafted a new bill that aims to significantly change the rules for obtaining the Italian citizenship jus sanguinis, imposing stricter criteria.
The party aims to restrict the right to descendants up to the second generation, arguing that only those with consolidated ties to Italy should benefit.
On the other hand, Forza Italia wants to reduce the period required for the State to respond to immigrants' citizenship requests.
Currently, the waiting time can be up to three years. Forza Italy wants to reduce this period to just one year, making the process more agile and less bureaucratic.
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