A letter from the City Council will notify children born in Italy of immigrant parents that they can become Italian citizens six months before they turn 18 years old.
Rome, July 28, 2013 – The new rule is contained in an amendment to Article 33 in the Legislative Decree 69/2013 about to be approved in the Chamber of Deputies.
The Article 33 which was strongly pushed for by Integration Minister Cècile Kyenge, simplifies the procedures for acquiring citizenship for children born in Italy of immigrant parents.
Under the new rule, children born here of immigrant parents will not be denied a chance of applying for citizenship when they turn 18 because of failures of parents or public administration to carry out certain tasks.
Previously Article 33 of the Legislative Decree 69/2013 required the Office of the Registrar at the children’s City Council of residence to notify the children when they turn 18 that they could apply for citizenship within their 19th birthday.
An Amendment submitted by Movimento 5 Stelle now requires the Office of the Registrar to notify the children that they can become Italians six months before turning 18 years old.
The decision to notify the children six months in advance is an important one considering that they must make the explicit statement of will to become Italian citizens within their 19th birthday.
Should the City Council fail to do so, the children will be entitled to apply for citizenship even after turning 19 years old. The new rule basically makes it a responsibility of the City Councils to inform the second generation immigrants of their right to apply for citizenship.
All the other rules previously introduced by the Legislative Decree 69/2013 remain unchanged.
Children born in Italy of immigrant parents will also be allowed to use several other documents to prove that they have been residing legally and uninterruptedly in the country from birth up to the legal age, should it happen that they were not registered as residents.
At times parents fail to register their children at the Office of the Registrar at their City Council of residence, or they do so late.
In the past, children born here were required to submit the historical certificate of residence to prove they had been residing legally and uninterruptedly in the country from birth up to the legal age. Now, in case the historical certificate of residence can’t prove that the children had been living here legally since they were born, they’ll be able to use educational certificates, vaccination certificates or any other medical certificates.
It will therefore be impossible to deny such children citizenship simply because they were not registered as residents.
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