The Bulletin May 31, 2025
The rundown: Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules, blocking applicants from getting recognized through their great-grandparents, has been "a real gut punch" for descendants of Italian migrants in the U.S. hoping to formalize their connection to the European country. Know what their options are.
Why it matters: Until last week, Italy allowed foreign nationals with an Italian ancestor alive after March 17, 1861, to apply for citizenship under what is called "jure sanguinis," or citizenship by descent. But growing criticism of the rule, which many said allowed people with little connection to the country to get a convenient passport, and a surge in applications in recent years have led the Italian government to change its application requirements. For the Italian government, the changes were a way to respond to criticism that the system was being abused by people "without any cultural or linguistic ties to the country," Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said. "The rule change was a real gut punch for me," said Jesse Hughes, a Pennsylvania resident whose mom's paternal grandfather, Giovanni Raccio, was born in a small Italian town called Gioia Sannitica in the province of Caserta.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Why Dual Citizenship Is The New American Dream
TL/DR: For Americans with Italian blood who were in the process of seeking Italian citizenship, the rule changes have caused "a lot of panic and heartbreak," Joseph Spinelle told Newsweek.
What happens now? The only thing that those shut out by Italy's new citizenship rules can do at this point is to challenge the changes in court.
Deeper reading Rule Change Hits Americans Seeking Italian Citizenship: 'Real Gut Punch'
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