Accused of making false declarations of residency, hundreds of Brazilians risk losing their Italian citizenship.
The police are investigating at least 400 Brazilians who, between 2018 and 2019, carried out the citizenship recognition process in San Michele al Tagliamento, in the province of Venice, in the Veneto region.
According to information published on the portal The Gazettino, this Saturday (22), the Carabineri – a unit equivalent to the Brazilian Military Police – arrived at the city hall of San Michele, a city of 12 thousand inhabitants, to search the lists of residents for all Brazilians who obtained citizenship in the last two years.
The complaint, which came from the municipality's own officials, is being investigated by the public prosecutor's office of Pordenone.
This is the first case in Venice, but similar schemes are being dismantled across Italy.
Understand the complaint
Having residency in Italy is one of the requirements for those entitled to Italian citizenship to apply for recognition on Italian soil.
According to the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office, temporary residency for the purpose of obtaining Italian citizenship is illegal.
But how long do you have to live in Italy to not have your residence classified as fake?
There is no pre-established timeframe in the circulars that regulate the Italian citizenship process. Therefore, the matter becomes one of interpretation.
In the case of San Michele al Tagliamento, the investigation continues.
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