Referendum, halve the time to become an Italian citizen

With its required ten years of legal residence in our country, Italy, together with Spain, ranks among the group of countries with the heaviest registry requirement for those who, as non-EU citizens, decide to embark on the complex path to release of citizenship (it can take up to three years). Now this aspect could be revised and resized in the event that, once the quorum is reached, the yes votes prevail, making the fifth referendum question pass.

The referendum question deals with a specific aspect of law 91 of 1992: "Should article 9 of the law be modified as proposed by the referendum question," explains lawyer Francesca Romana Ferro, "the time of legal permanence in Italy required of the foreigner would be shortened, from ten to five years, which is a bit what happens with non-European citizens of age adopted in Italy and with stateless persons, to whom a different discipline from the ordinary one applies.

In addition to the duration of legal residence in Italy, there is the requirement of stability: the ten years of legal residence must be continuous. A requirement that has often lengthened the acquisition process considerably. "In fact, even a single interruption is enough to reset the calculation to zero," explains Ennio Codini, professor of public and administrative law at the Catholic University of Milan and head of the Legislation sector of Fondazione Ismu. "This phenomenon," he continues, "in the case ofyoungest foreigners is very common: they arrive at the age of 18 certain of obtaining Italian citizenship and then realise that they do not meet the requirement of continuous residence, perhaps because as children they were sent abroad by their grandparents".

Changing the residency requirement in Italy from ten to five years, in addition to making the goal of individual citizenship more attainable, could also 'reduce the pressure on the offices in charge of residence permit renewals,' explains lawyer Francesca Romana Ferro.

The length of stay in Italy is the only requirement for obtaining citizenship on which the referendum intervenes. But even if the amendment were to be approved, the other requirements would remain unchanged: knowledge of the Italian language at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the presence of an adequate income, certified by tax returns for the last three years, and irreproachable conduct, assessed by the Ministry of the Interior (not only on the basis of the absence of convictions). Therefore, it is not certain that the approval of the referendum would mean that all those who could apply for citizenship would immediately be able to apply, on the basis of residence for five years.