Italy's citizenship ruling could impact thousands of Italian-Americans in Pa. and N.J. The Italian Constitutional Court’s recent decision to end the country’s long-standing policy of unlimited generational citizenship has sparked widespread concern among Italian-Americans in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The ruling, which took effect immediately, restricts citizenship to children and grandchildren of Italian citizens, requiring that their ancestors held Italian citizenship at the time of their birth. This change effectively eliminates dual citizenship for many, leaving hundreds of thousands of descendants of Italian immigrants in the U.S. scrambling to navigate a new legal landscape. For individuals like Jillian Emory of Fairmount, the news was a crushing blow. Emory, who spent years connecting with her Italian heritage through language study, travel, and genealogical research, had hoped to claim citizenship. The ruling, however, dashed her dreams, as it now requires applicants to live in Italy for two years—a goal she deemed unattainable. “I genuinely want to be a part of that culture,” she said, only to face frustration over the new restrictions. The decision has also raised alarms in Philadelphia and New Jersey, home to some of the largest Italian-American communities in the U.S. The American-Italian Society of Philadelphia, a nonprofit promoting Italian culture, has already hosted two webinars to explain the changes. Philadelphia alone has the highest concentration of Italian-Americans among the 10 largest U.S. cities, with over 760,000 people of Italian descent in the metro area. Towns like Hammonton, N.J., and Ocean City, N.J., also boast significant Italian-American populations, with at least 20% of residents in several communities.#italian_constitutional_court #tajani_decree #jillian_emory #american_italian_society_of_philadelphia #nicole_mena
Italy's Constitutional Court Upholds Citizenship Restrictions, Millions Lose Automatic Rights Italy's Constitutional Court ruled on March 13, 2026, that the 2025 law limiting citizenship by descent remains constitutional, effectively ending automatic recognition for millions of people with distant Italian ancestry. The decision confirmed that claims to Italian citizenship through great-grandparents or earlier generations are no longer valid unless specific residency conditions are met. The law, known as Law 74/2025 or the Tajani Decree, was implemented retroactively from March 27, 2025, and restricts jure sanguinis transmission to parents or grandparents born in Italy. The court cited state interests in preventing abuse, managing consular backlogs, and preserving citizenship integrity as justification for the restrictions. A full written ruling is expected to be released soon. The law was initially introduced as an emergency measure in March 2025 and later converted into permanent legislation in May of that year. It was designed to address overwhelming application volumes, with some consulates facing waits of decades, and concerns over the commercialization of passports. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the law as essential for restoring order to the system. Approximately 80 million people worldwide claim Italian descent, with significant communities in Brazil, Argentina, and the United States. Many sought EU citizenship for benefits related to mobility, work, and travel. The new rules affect individuals born abroad with another citizenship unless they can prove a direct recent link to Italy. Grandparent-based claims remain valid only if the grandparent was born in Italy; earlier generations no longer confer automatic rights.#italy #constitutional_court #tajani_decree #antonia_tajani #palermo_court
