Introduction
On June 9, Italians went to the polls to decide their own future, and overall, that of thousands of non-EU residents who have long contributed to the country and hoped for a faster path to citizenship. Among the reforms on the table was a proposal to reduce the naturalization requirement from 10 years to 5. The momentum could have offered a new life to more than 52% of Americans with Italian ancestry ties who were planning their relocation following President Trump’s new policies and increasing global attention with most Italian voters against the reform, only seen as a legal shortcut. On the other hand, Americans saw it as an occasion to formally reclaim their connection to Italy and its culture through great-grandparents.
As Italy’s citizenship referendum collapses, deeper tensions emerge. This is more than a symbolic effort to modernize old nationality laws. Indeed, it is part of a broader constitutional and judicial reform that has left most of International candidates in a legal limbo, with Americans being of the largest affected community.
Rise in American applicants for Italian citizenship
Numbers speak for themselves and never lie. According to a report published by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), 886 Americans were granted Italian citizenship through the ius sanguinis law in 2023 alone. A number that has grown by over 241% since Trump’s second election. It is clear how this reflects an upward trend with figures that don’t include applications processed through other channels, from Italian consulates abroad to immigration agencies, which obviously point to an even more impressive surge in American applications for Italian citizenship.
Impact of the results and consequences for Americans
Before Italy’s last referendum, more than 23 million Americans were potentially eligible for an Italian passport thanks to a policy that recognized ancestry beyond the second generation. But that era ended earlier than expected.
Recently, the Italian government limited automatic eligibility to just two generations, resulting in a 40% drop in petitioners. Unlike other European countries, from Portugal to Ireland, Italy’s citizenship system has long attracted Americans for its strategic position, both economic and social, and the large community of descendants of Italian immigrants. However, this reform has sparked uncertainty, identity crisis, and disillusionment. As a consequence, there have been legal challenges that are already unfolding as advocates question the retroactive fairness of change.
Among the key factors now changing relocation plans for U.S. citizens:
● Loss of cultural connection → Both Italian and American media claimed a large part of the American community is feeling ‘culturally betrayed’ by Italy, feeling shut out of a heritage they’ve long embraced. Moreover, many groups are launching international petitions, in order to restore the old reform and claim their rights.
● No strategic advantages in Europe → The ineligibility for Italian passports makes it impossible for many Americans to live, work, or study in EU cities without a visa.
● Impossibility to move their assets as planned → American people lose access to favorable tax conditions to buy property in Italy, Spain, and Greece.
