An important breakthrough is on the horizon for thousands of Italians who emigrated to North America and were forced to give up their Italian citizenship prior to 1992 in order to become citizens of the United States or Canada. A proposed law that would allow them to reacquire their Italian citizenship—lost due to the exclusivity rule in effect in Italy until 1992—is now close to being approved.
“Since the day I was elected, I have worked to deliver one of the most important goals for our community in North and Central America: the reacquisition of Italian citizenship for those who lost it before 1992,” said MP Christian Di Sanzo, who represents Italians living in North and Central America. “This issue affects so many former Italian citizens who had to give up their nationality in order to fully integrate or avoid discrimination—ultimately finding themselves cut off from important rights and a deep connection to their country of origin.”
Shortly after taking office, Di Sanzo introduced a bill to restore this right. Over the past two years, he has continued to push the issue forward in Parliament, seizing the opportunity provided by the new “Tajani Decree,” which includes a broader reform of Italian citizenship laws.
“As the Democratic Party, we immediately made it clear that any reform should also include the reopening of the terms for citizenship reacquisition,” he said.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Democratic Party’s elected officials abroad—particularly Sen. Francesca La Marca and Sen. Francesco Giacobbe—the proposal was formally submitted as an amendment to the decree currently under review in the Senate’s Constitutional Affairs Committee. The government has now adopted the proposal by introducing its own version of the amendment, fully aligned with the request: former Italian citizens will be allowed to submit applications for reacquisition of citizenship until December 31, 2027.
“Ideally, I would have preferred a permanent solution, with no deadlines,” Di Sanzo added. “When a right is finally recognized, it shouldn’t come with an expiration date. But this is a concrete and meaningful achievement, and we are ready to launch an information campaign as soon as the process is officially open.”
The Senate committee is expected to vote on Tuesday, May 13. If the amendment passes, it will move to the Senate floor and then to the Chamber of Deputies, with final approval expected by May 27. After that, the Ministry of the Interior will provide instructions on how to submit an application.
This is a long-awaited milestone—one that restores dignity, belonging, and recognition to thousands who never stopped feeling Italian at heart.
