A new bill presented by the deputy Fabio Porta aims to offer visas of up to five years to Italian descendants, with the aim of facing the challenge of population decline in Italy.
Porta, from the Democratic Party (PD), presented the proposal in a context of “demographic winter”, where Italy is fighting low birth rates.
The project mainly targets young people, but there is no age restriction for granting the visa, according to the project. The idea is to allow people with Italian ancestry or a strong cultural, social or family bond with the country to study or work in Italy. “We have to attract young students and workers to respond to the problem of the demographic winter, which is more dramatic every year,” said Porta in an interview with the Ansa agency.
“It’s not the solution to the problem, but we believe this law can help,” he added.
To obtain a visa, you will need prove Italian ancestry or a significant link with the country, but a citizenship document is not required.
“It would be something simple, presenting a document, a text, something that allows the consulate certify Italian ancestry. We do not want documentation of citizenship, knowing that, of the 36 million Italian-Brazilians, not all of them have the means to prove it,” said Porta.
In addition, the project includes tax incentives for small municipalities that receive the beneficiaries. The tax discount would be greater the smaller the city, aiming to help the locations most affected by population loss.
The project still needs to be approved by the committees of the Câmara dos Deputados and gain enough support to move forward.
Italy, with a declining birth rate and a predicted loss of 11,5 million inhabitants by 2070, is seeking innovative solutions to reverse the trend and revitalize its population growth.
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