Venice granted Italian citizenship to 1.660 foreigners in 2024. A third of them came from Bangladesh, according to municipal data. This number represents an increase of almost 300 compared to 2022, when 1.365 citizenships were granted.
The city, which is facing a population decline, currently has around 41 foreigners. This represents one in every six residents. By 2041, the resident population is expected to fall from 250 to 235, according to local projections.
Acquiring Italian citizenship guarantees civil and political rights to new citizens. Many foreigners see this as the only way to have an active voice in municipal decisions, since only Italian citizens can vote and run for office.
The process, however, is lengthy. It takes about 13 years and requires continuous legal residency. The growing demand, as seen last weekend on Via Paruta, causes queues and even conflicts over service for document renewals and naturalization protocols.
Bangladeshi community leads
Bangladesh leads the ranking of new citizens in Venice, with 494 concessions in 2024. Next comes Moldova (271), Macedonia and Romania, with around 100 each. In total, 60 nationalities were represented among the new Italians.
The Bangladeshi community currently has around 10 members in the city. It is also the most advanced in local politics. The Democratic Party and center-right parties have already included names such as Kamrul Syed, Clark Manwar and Prince Howlander in their pre-candidacies for the next municipal elections.
The Chinese, despite being one of the first communities to arrive, rarely apply for Italian citizenship. This is due to a fear of losing their Chinese nationality, which does not allow dual citizenship.
Foreign population supports schools and services
There are 88.882 foreigners living in the province of Venice. They represent 17,7% of local residents and 10,6% of the entire foreign population of Veneto, the fourth Italian region in this indicator.
Romanians are the majority in the province, with almost 23%, followed by Bangladeshi citizens (12,8%).
In schools, foreigners are also essential: 17 students — 16,4% of the total — are of foreign origin. Without them, class sizes would fall by 16,5%, and the demand for teachers would decrease by the same proportion.
In addition, 84.890 foreigners are taxpayers. They pay taxes like any other resident. The average annual income declared is €16.850, about €8.500 below that recorded among Italians.
The debate on immigration, in this context, is not only social, but also economic and structural. Without foreigners, schools, public services and the labor market would face an accelerated contraction, with a direct impact on the sustainability of Italian cities.
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