Latest news with #AntonioTajani
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
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'
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Rule Change Hits Americans Seeking Italian Citizenship: 'Real Gut Punch'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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. "I've always been very interested in my Italian heritage, and was excited to have the opportunity to call myself a true Italian and to someday perhaps live and work in Italy," Jesse Hughes, a Pennsylvania resident, told Newsweek. "The rule change was a real gut punch for me." The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was contacted by email on Friday for comment for this article. Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules has upset some Italian Americans hoping to formalize their connection to the country. Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules has upset some Italian Americans hoping to formalize their connection to the country. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty 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. Last week, Italy announced that only foreign nationals with Italian parents or grandparents will now be allowed to seek citizenship. "Being an Italian citizen is a serious thing. It's not a game to get a passport that allows you to go shopping in Miami," Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said during a news conference in Rome on March 28. While there is no official data showing how many U.S. nationals have obtained Italian citizenship through this process, the number could easily be in the thousands considering that over 4 million Italians had made their way to the U.S. by 1920, when immigration from the country started tapering off. The Italian Ministry of the Interior estimates that there are currently about 80 million individuals worldwide of Italian descent, with about 20 million in the U.S. What To Know The rule changes announced on May 23 not only restrict the descendant bloodline route to citizenship to parents and grandparents. Rome also announced that Italian consulates will no longer process citizenship applications, which will instead be handled by the Italian government online. In-person interviews will be mandatory for applicants, forcing them to travel to Italy as part of the process. And finally, those who obtained Italian citizenship could lose it if they "don't engage" by paying taxes, voting, or renewing their passports. These changes took effect immediately on May 23, though they do not affect the 60,000 applications which are currently pending review. 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," Tajani said. Applications have skyrocketed in the past few years, especially in South America, where Italian migrants flocked in the 19th and 20th centuries. The changes were also a way to put an end to what critics have denounced as an inherent injustice within the Italian legal system, which allowed foreign nationals with distant Italian ancestry to seek citizenship while the children of immigrants born in the country are denied birthright citizenship and can only apply for it after reaching the age of 18. But 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. 'Families Ripped Apart' Spinelle, who was born in Chicago but now lives in Lecce, southern Italy, describes himself as "one of the lucky ones" who managed to obtain Italian citizenship before the country decided to change its rules. In 2023, Spinelle and his wife "blew up their lives" in the U.S., selling their cars and their home and quitting their jobs to take the chance of a new life in Italy, where he was hoping to get citizenship. "I moved out to get recognized for citizenship, went through that process, and stayed. My goal was always to stay in Italy. So we went out there, bought a house, and now we are restructuring it," he said. One of the big reasons why Spinelle and his wife decided to stay in Italy was the 2024 election. "We've been watching what's been happening in the U.S. and it's just been heartbreaking for us to kind of watch how our country is being torn apart," he said. "We wanted to live somewhere that just didn't have the strife. We wanted to get out in advance of all the toxicity, to be honest." Spinelle has Italian family members on both sides, so he was recognized as a descendant of Italian nationals through his father as well as his mother. Seeking citizenship through "jure sanguinis," he obtained it within nine months, after moving to Italy and studying Italian for years. Joseph Spinelle with his fourth grade class in Lecce. He teaches part-time in a public school in the southern Italian city. Joseph Spinelle with his fourth grade class in Lecce. He teaches part-time in a public school in the southern Italian city. Joseph Spinelle Others were not as lucky as Spinelle. "There are so many people that, because of the timing or whatever, don't know what to do now," he said. "There are families being ripped apart, people who can stay in Italy, people who can't. There's just a lot of suffering that's happening as a result of this, and I feel like the people who are pushing the propaganda don't know or don't care." Spinelle's family is among those that have been ripped apart by the rule changes. While he was recognized through his mother's bloodline, his mother has not been able to get an appointment at the Italian consulate despite trying for years—and now, she is shut out by the new requirements. "Because her claim has not been filed yet, now we're looking at a situation where I was recognized for my mother, but my mother would not be eligible," he said. "So now we have these split families where I was recognized as a citizen, but my mother, my aunt, my brother, my sister, my nieces and nephews, which all came from the same bloodline, now are shut out." Spinelle's sister was planning to retire in Italy, but now she will likely be unable to join her brother there. "Literally families are getting ripped apart," he said. Left, Joseph Spinelle, originally from Chicago, stands with his Italian passport. Right, Spinelle and his wife in Puglia, Italy. Left, Joseph Spinelle, originally from Chicago, stands with his Italian passport. Right, Spinelle and his wife in Puglia, Italy. Another family split by the rule changes is that of Jesse Hughes. "My mom's paternal grandfather, Giovanni Raccio, was born in a small Italian town called Gioia Sannitica in the province of Caserta. His parents brought him and his sisters to the United in 1912, when he was only six years old," he told Newsweek. "Although he assimilated well into American culture, he always dreamed of going back to 'the old country,' but never got the chance. Because he didn't naturalize until 1941, when my grandfather was still a minor, we learned that we were eligible for dual Italian citizenship by the jure sanguinis rule," he explained. Hughes, his mother and her cousin all applied for citizenship back in 2022 and have been working on it since. "We started studying the language, reading about Italian history, and watching Italian TV shows to learn more about the culture, in anticipation of being granted citizenship. I even memorized the Italian national anthem," he said. Then the rule change was announced. "My mom and her cousin are still eligible, but I am shut out because the link is my great-grandfather, not my grandfather," Hughes said. "I have respect for the government's concerns that new citizens are taking advantage of the system to get pensions, or to buy up unreasonable amounts of property. But I wonder why parliament can't just make stricter rules regarding those issues, while continuing to allow people like me to gain our citizenship." 'Unjust and Unfair' Marco Permunian, legal consultant and founder of Italian Citizenship Assistance, said that the change to the Italian citizenship law "was done in an unjust and unfair manner, affecting countless individuals who have been eligible to apply and had shown interest by taking significant actions to submit their citizenship application." These changes, he said, were made "suddenly and with no grace period, leaving many people now ineligible and without the right to Italian citizenship because the public administration made it impossible to submit their application." Several of Permunian's U.S. clients have expressed deep frustration and disappointment and are ready to fight the change in the court system, he said. Basil Russo, national president of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), told Newsweek that applying for Italian citizenship has always been about more than just obtaining a passport. "It's about heritage, identity, and justice for millions who have maintained a cultural and familial connection to Italy for generations," he said. "Closing the door on this process is a regrettable and mistargeted solution to a problem Italian Americans didn't create." "Of the 4 million Italian immigrants who came to America between 1880 and 1920, the vast majority of their 18 million descendants are now their great grandchildren and their descendants," Russo said. "The new law will prohibit all of these individuals from applying for dual citizenship." The rule change could deeply harm the relationship between descendants of Italian migrants to the U.S. and their ancestral homeland, Russo said. "Italian Americans are extremely proud of their heritage, but this new law sends the uncomfortable message that our ancestral homeland is not equally proud to claim us," he said. "This law only serves to undermine that strong historical bond." Jacopo Zamboni, managing partner at Henley & Partners, said that the change will likely bring a drop in applications. "International law is clear on this: it is each country's sovereign right to decide who is entitled to citizenship," he told Newsweek. "We would nevertheless advocate for the introduction of further mitigating measures for those members of the diaspora who will be willing to show the willingness for reconnecting with the country socially but also economically." What Happens Next 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. "We're gonna get the best lawyers that we can, we're gonna challenge the constitutionality of this, we're gonna challenge the implementation of this," Spinelle said. "And even though you know this particular law is not on our side, when you weigh in everything in the actual constitution, the history of the laws, hopefully we'll get a judge who can see that this is unjust and then take that forward from there. That's our only option at this point." While the Italian government said it was implementing these changes to ease the administrative burden on Italian consulates, the "exact opposite" is going to happen, Spinelle said, "because now everybody's going to challenge this." "We've seen this in the data, there's an explosion in the court, everybody is filing. So they've done the exact opposite of what they set out to do," he added. Hughes is holding hope that he will be able to obtain citizenship after all. "I just want to work and live like a real Italian and do what I can to contribute to Italian society," he said.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Italian FM urges Israel to halt attacks on Gaza
ROME, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday called for an immediate halt to Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, condemning the attacks as "unacceptable." During a briefing to the lower house of Parliament on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Tajani stated: "These innocent deaths wound our values and outrage our consciences." He acknowledged Israel's right to respond to terrorism but criticized the scale and impact of its military actions: "The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible, senseless act of terrorism is taking on dramatic, absolutely unacceptable forms." Tajani stressed the need to uphold international humanitarian law, urging an immediate end to the bombing and the swift resumption of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. He also firmly rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians from the territory. "The expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option," he declared. "The only viable path to peace, and the inalienable goal, remains the launch of a political process leading to two states coexisting in peace and security," he noted. Before concluding his remarks, Tajani requested a minute of silence in memory of the innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives in the conflict.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Italian FM slams Israeli assault on Gaza, warns against forced displacement
Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani speaks to the press following talks of the "Weimar+" group focused on Ukraine and the future of European security at Lancaster House in London, on May 12, 2025. Photo: Reuters/ File Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip has become unacceptable and must stop immediately, Italy's foreign minister said on Wednesday, warning against any move to forcibly displace Palestinians from the enclave. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke to parliament about the situation in Gaza amid mounting Western criticism of Israel, which invaded the Palestinian territory after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on its southern communities. "The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless act of terrorism is unfortunately taking absolutely dramatic and unacceptable forms, which we call on Israel to stop immediately," Tajani told parliament. Italy has been a vocal supporter of Israel but there has been growing unease within the right-wing coalition government over the relentless and long-running military campaign. In all, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war, Gaza health authorities say. "The bombing must end, humanitarian assistance must resume as soon as possible, respect for international humanitarian law must be restored," Tajani told a heated debate in the lower house of parliament. On Gaza, the government has come under attack from the opposition parties which have announced a demonstration in Rome on June 7, demanding sanctions against Israel and that Italy formally recognises the State of Palestine. "The levels of political, moral and intellectual squalor that all of you, Italian and European ruling classes, are reaching, will condemn you as those who are complicit in extermination, genocide and inhuman crime," said Riccardo Ricciardi, a lawmaker from the 5-Star Movement. Tajani said a Palestinian state could still be created following negotiations involving Israel, and Italy wanted to keep a dialogue open with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. But he reiterated that Italy was against displacing Palestinians from Gaza, an option US President Donald Trump proposed earlier this year and which was swiftly rejected by Arab countries. "The expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option," Tajani said. He reiterated that Italy might be prepared to take part in an eventual Arab-led peacekeeping mission in Gaza.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Italy urges Israel to stop offensive in Gaza, respect humanitarian law
ROME: Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip has become unacceptable and must stop immediately, Italy's foreign minister said on Wednesday, warning against any move to forcibly displace Palestinians from the enclave. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke to parliament about the situation in Gaza amid mounting Western criticism of Israel, which invaded the Palestinian territory after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on its southern communities. 'The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless act of terrorism is unfortunately taking absolutely dramatic and unacceptable forms, which we call on Israel to stop immediately,' Tajani told parliament. Italy has been a vocal supporter of Israel but there has been growing unease within the right-wing coalition government over the relentless and long-running military campaign. In all, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war, Gaza health authorities say. 'The bombing must end, humanitarian assistance must resume as soon as possible, respect for international humanitarian law must be restored,' Tajani told a heated debate in the lower house of parliament. On Gaza, the government has come under attack from the opposition parties which have announced a demonstration in Rome on June 7, demanding sanctions against Israel and that Italy formally recognises the State of Palestine. 'The levels of political, moral and intellectual squalor that all of you, Italian and European ruling classes, are reaching, will condemn you as those who are complicit in extermination, genocide and inhuman crime,' said Riccardo Ricciardi, a lawmaker from the 5-Star Movement. Tajani said a Palestinian state could still be created following negotiations involving Israel, and Italy wanted to keep a dialogue open with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. But he reiterated that Italy was against displacing Palestinians from Gaza, an option U.S. President Donald Trump proposed earlier this year and which was swiftly rejected by Arab countries. 'The expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option,' Tajani said. He reiterated that Italy might be prepared to take part in an eventual Arab-led peacekeeping mission in Gaza.
