In recent months, the issue of Italian citizenship by descent has returned to the forefront of international debate. Legislative changes approved in 2025 have introduced significant changes to the methods of citizenship transmission. ius sanguinis, impacting a system that for decades has allowed millions of descendants of Italian emigrants around the world to request recognition of their Italian passport.
What changes with the new rules approved in 2025
The new legislation has restricted the principle of automatic citizenship to the generations closest to the ancestor born in Italy. Specifically, the reform tends to favor the children and grandchildren of Italian citizens born in the country, introducing a criterion that values the actual connection to Italy more than genealogical descent alone.
The change has raised numerous questions within diaspora communities, particularly in the United States, where interest in the recognition of Italian citizenship remains very high. It's therefore not surprising that informational meetings dedicated to the topic are attracting growing participation.
Precisely with the aim of clarifying the new regulations, a public meeting aimed at the Italian and Italian-American communities in the area was held in Washington DC in recent days.
The event was organized by Dr. Monica Longo, president of the association LeDIVE DC, which promoted an evening of information and discussion dedicated to legislative developments and the procedures for obtaining citizenship.
The protagonists of the meeting were the journalist Gabriella Ferrero and the lawyer Fabio Cione, who guided the audience through an analysis of the new regulatory provisions and the steps necessary to start a recognition process.
The principle of ius sanguinis and the reasons for the reform
During the evening it was recalled that Italian citizenship is traditionally based on the principle of ius sanguinis, or the transmission of citizenship by descent from an Italian citizen. However, the exponential increase in requests from abroad in recent years has prompted legislators to intervene to redefine the system's criteria and limits.
Attorney Fabio Cione explained the main steps required to reconstruct a valid lineage for citizenship purposes: from collecting birth, marriage, and death certificates of family members to verifying that citizenship has not been interrupted along the genealogical line. A crucial aspect concerns, for example, cases in which an emigrated ancestor acquired citizenship of another country before the birth of their children.
Particular attention was also paid to the so-called “1948 cases”, that is, situations in which citizenship was transmitted through the maternal line before the entry into force of the Italian Constitution. In these cases, recognition can only be achieved through a judicial appeal before the Italian courts.
The meeting was well attended and very attentive. Many attendees took advantage of the question-and-answer session to clarify questions about their family histories, consular procedures, and application deadlines.
The connection with Italian roots in the Italian-American community
The discussion thus transformed into a moment of direct dialogue with the community, confirming how the issue of citizenship remains central to many descendants of Italians living in the United States.
For many Italian-Americans, in fact, obtaining Italian citizenship is not just an administrative process, but also a way to reconnect with and strengthen their ties to their roots and the history of families who emigrated from Italy.
Events like the one organized by LeDIVE DC demonstrate the diaspora's strong interest in Italy and the importance of providing opportunities for reliable information on a complex and ever-evolving topic such as Italian citizenship by descent.
