Italy’s supreme court has made a landmark ruling, overturning a recent law that cut off the pathway to citizenship for tens of thousands of people around the world. The so-called “minor issue” was introduced by the Italian government in October 2024 and affected descendants born in countries that confer citizenship to anyone born there.

What the Ruling Means

The ruling, issued on July 27, means that children who automatically acquired citizenship in the country of their birth did not lose their Italian citizenship when their parents relinquished their own. This decision is a major victory for the Italian diaspora, who have been fighting for their right to citizenship.

Attorney Monica Restanio, who argued the case for one of the families, said she was thrilled with the result. “Achieving this result was a personal dream — the kind that drives every lawyer when they decide to defend a right that they believe in deeply,” she said.

The ruling is expected to affect thousands of people, particularly those in the Americas, where ius soli (or jus soli) is predominant. However, it is worth noting that the lower courts are bound to respect the Cassazione’s decision, but government bodies such as consulates do not have to. This means that descendants who are newly eligible may still have to file costly lawsuits to get citizenship.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.