Professors Urge Support for Citizenship Reform Referendum

A group of professors and researchers in migration, economics, and citizenship law have signed an appeal published in La Repubblica, urging Italians to support the upcoming referendum on citizenship, scheduled for 8–9 June 2025. The vote will ask citizens whether to reduce the residency requirement for non-EU nationals applying for Italian citizenship from the current 10 years to 5—bringing Italy closer in line with most European democracies.

Among the signatories are Lorenzo Piccoli and Maarten Vink from the European University Institute, and Yajna Govind from the Copenhagen Business School. In their article, they argue that the current law—one of the most restrictive in Europe—has led to Italy having one of the lowest naturalisation rates for long-term residents. While 53% of immigrants residing long-term in the EU become citizens, in Italy the figure drops to just 35%.

The appeal stresses that the proposed reform would not affect the foundational principles of Italian citizenship law, nor is it connected to the previously debated ius soli or ius scholae models aimed at children born or raised in Italy. Instead, the referendum simply aims to update the 1992 law by shortening the waiting period for naturalisation.

The authors point to growing international consensus on the benefits of naturalisation, citing evidence that citizenship improves employment prospects, income levels, job satisfaction, and integration outcomes. These benefits, they say, are delayed or undermined by excessively long residency requirements.

While many countries—including France, Portugal, the UK, and most recently Germany—require only five years of legal residence, Italy remains aligned with more restrictive systems like those in Austria, Lithuania, and Switzerland. The referendum, which received over 637,000 signatures and was validated by the Constitutional Court, represents a rare opportunity for reform.

However, the outcome is uncertain. The vote requires over 50% turnout to be valid, and in today’s polarised political climate, right-wing parties are already calling for abstention. The Italian Communications Authority (Agcom) recently issued a note reminding media outlets of their obligation to cover the referendum, given the limited public debate so far.

The professors warn that without sufficient engagement, Italy risks missing a historic opportunity. They recall past referendums that surpassed the turnout threshold—on divorce in 1974, abortion in 1981, and nuclear energy in 2011—noting that those campaigns mobilised citizens around issues of broad social relevance. Whether this referendum will do the same remains to be seen.

But, as the authors argue in La Repubblica, aligning Italy’s citizenship laws with those of its European partners is not just a legal adjustment—it is a matter of justice, inclusion, and democratic progress.