Five people, mainly from Lebanon, have been stripped of Italian citizenship after being revealed they are part of the Hezbollah terrorist group.
The information was made public by the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Antonio Tajani, who also disclosed that these individuals had obtained Italian passports through irregular pathways, Schengen.News reports.
The law in Italy regulates that foreigners who have an Italian ancestor, such as grandparents, are eligible to obtain Italian citizenship. Being an Italian citizen, thus an EU citizen, grants this category the right to move between the countries freely.
This Incident to ‘Help’ Foreign Minister Push for “Ius Solis” Citizenship
In his press release, Minister Tajani also voiced his discontent with the current citizenship law, which allows those with Italian ancestors to become Italian citizens.
The Minister has been against this law for a long time, and he is expected to use this case as the basis for changes in legislation, as he aims to push for ius italiae.
Political parties in Italy are divided into two groups regarding citizenship law: should foreigners obtain citizenship by blood, which is the case with those who have Italian ancestors, or granting citizenship to those born in Italy.
According to the current law, non-Italian citizens born in the country can obtain citizenship if one of their parents is or gains citizenship. Based on an Istat report called “Children and Youths 2023”, 58.5 per cent of young Italians between 11 and 19 years old are more in favour of granting citizenship to migrant children who were born in Italy to be granted Italian citizenship.
Italy Is One of the Leading Countries in EU for Granting Citizenship
Data from Eurostat, the EU Office for Statistics, reveals that Italy granted 22 per cent of the EU total new citizenships in 2022. In total, Italy granted citizenship to 213,700 individuals.
The second country to follow was Spain (181,600 or 18 per cent) and Germany (166,600 or 17 per cent).
Data revealed that there were 3.6 acquisitions of citizenship per 1,000 usual residents in Italy during 2022. On the other hand, Moroccans, Syrians, and Albanians were the main beneficiaries of EU citizenship for the year.
Source: https://schengen.news/italy-revokes-citizenship-for-5-people-who-are-part-of-a-terrorist-group/
