Italy’s Constitutional Court ruled to uphold recent changes to the country’s citizenship-by-descent rules
Italy’s Constitutional Court has signaled support for a new 2025 law that tightens citizenship by descent, but the full written decision is still to come and some legal debate continues. Under the new rules, only people with an Italian-born parent or grandparent (who held only Italian citizenship) can generally be recognized, which changes the broader, more generous system that had existed since the 1800s. This will make it harder for some descendants to qualify, but lawyers are already preparing further challenges in higher courts, so the legal landscape may continue to evolve.