Rome – Italy is preparing for a landmark referendum on June 8–9 that could significantly ease the path to citizenship for non-EU residents, including over 175,000 Indians. If approved, the proposed changes would reduce the residency requirement for citizenship from 10 years to 5 years, potentially granting Italian citizenship to up to 2.5 million non-EU nationals.
The move comes amid strong opposition from the country’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni and key political allies are calling for a boycott of the referendum, urging citizens to abstain from voting in an attempt to invalidate the process by preventing the necessary voter turnout threshold from being met.
Boycott Threatens Referendum Outcome
Under Italian law, a referendum is only valid if more than 50% of eligible voters participate. Historically, this has been a major hurdle—only four out of 29 referendums held since 1995 have met the turnout requirement. Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Matteo Salvini’s League party have also publicly supported the boycott strategy, significantly reducing the referendum’s chances of success.
Citizenship Expansion Could Impact Millions
Research from Eidos indicates that if the referendum succeeds:
- Over 1.4 million adult non-EU residents would immediately become eligible to apply for citizenship.
- An estimated 2.29 million children would also qualify under the new rules.
- Approximately 55,000 children would automatically gain citizenship once their parents are naturalised.
The changes would be particularly impactful for Italy’s sizable Indian community.
Existing Barriers Remain
While the referendum proposes easing the residency timeline, existing income and language requirements would remain in place:
- Applicants must earn at least €8,263.31 per year, with varying thresholds depending on household composition.
- They must demonstrate proficiency in Italian by passing a B1-level exam under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which assesses grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and sentence construction.
According to Europe Party estimates, around 700,000 residents may still fall short of the income criteria, even if the residency period is shortened.
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