After our first article on the political parties’ positions on cannabis, Liberties member the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights now turns its attention to two very hot topics: immigration, and the law on citizenship.

We have already seen in a very recent article that the climate surrounding the issue of immigration is particularly tense, and that’s why it especially important to talk about this issue now.

Simplifying the issue

When talking about immigration, political parties tend to simplify the problems related to this complex topic, or tend to unify issues under the same title of "immigration" even when they have nothing to do with it.

A concrete example is the debate that has been witnessed on the reform of the law on citizenship, which was addressed to the children of foreigners born in Italy or who have been in the country for many years.

What is ius soli?

According to the law, a boy or girl born in Italy to non-Italian parents, unlike other children, has the possibility to "become" a citizen only if he or she resides legally and continuously in the country until turning 18, and after filing a request to become citizen within one year from the 18th birthday. As for people born outside of Italy who arrived before their 18th birthday, they can apply for citizenship if they are able to demonstrate that they have resided legally and uninterruptedly in Italy for at least 10 years.

Children who were born in Italy or came to our country as minors, who today do not have Italian citizenship, number about 1 million. Some 800,000 of them are still under 18.

The reform of the law on citizenship was about a "tempered" ius solis, meaning that it would have created a sort of ius culturae, extending citizenship to kids born in Italy to foreign parents who had been legally living in Italy for at least five years, or to children born abroad but who have lived in Italy for at least 12 years and attended school in Italy.

Notwithstanding the first approval of the proposals by the Chamber of Deputies in October 2015, the discussion for a definite approval of this reform has been postponed several times, to the point that another discussion will be possible only with a new legislature.

What do the parties say about ius soli, ius culturae and immigration?

• Centre-right coalition: Ius soli does not appear in the coalition plan composed of Forza Italia, Lega, Fratelli d’Italia e Noi con l’Italia. However, the fifth point of the electoral programme, entitled "more security for all", deals with aspects of immigration, associating this phenomenon with the "fight against terrorism" and with the need for a strengthening of border controls. The coalition suggests to block arrivals, to carry out "assisted rejections" through the establishment of agreements with the countries of origin of "economic migrants", together with the repatriation of illegal immigrants. The coalition adds that the "so-called humanitarian protection" is granted indiscriminately. Another point of the programme calls for the creation of bilateral agreements also with regard to foreigners in Italian prisons, so that their detention can take place in their countries of origin.
  • Forza Italia: the party has expressed itself several times regarding the issue of ius soli. Maurizio Gasparri expressed himself in this regard, arguing that instead we need to restrict the current law "to introduce norms that revoke Italian citizenship to those who do not deserve it [...] citizenship is not to be gifted but has to be conquered". On the other topics Forza Italia proposes agreements with Libya to block arrivals on the sea.
  • Lega: Ius soli is not mentioned in the Lega’s programme; however, it affirms that the law on citizenship has to be maintained and that to acquire citizenship foreigners should satisfy more requirements and set the grounds to revoke the Italian citizenship in case of activities linked to Islamic terrorism. The party wants to oppose the Schengen treaty and the Dublin Regulation, thus returning to its autonomy in the defense of the national territory. Finally, among other issues related to immigration, Lega asks for the expulsion of foreigners held in prisons and to cancel the territorial commissions involved in the procedures of recognition and withdrawal of refugee status.
  • Fratelli d’Italia: the fourth point of the programme states the opposition of the party to "every form of automatism in obtaining citizenship”; moreover, a link is drawn between immigration and Islam and, the fifth point of the programme mentions the "protection of our identity from the process of Islamisation" and proposes to limit the number of foreign students per class. Finally, Fratelli d'Italia aims to the creation of regular immigration quotas "only for nationalities that have proven to be integrated and which do not create security problems" together with targeted investment programmes in Africa to limit the "push for emigration".
• Centre-left coalition
  • Partito Democratico: the programme includes the issue of ius soli and the party reiterates their support for the battle for the approval of the citizenship reform, both for children born to foreign parents with a regular residence permit in Italy, and to those who arrived before the twelfth year of age, provided they attended school or professional training in Italy. For other aspects related to immigration, the PD affirms the important role of Europe and Italy in a "dialogue with governments across the Mediterranean" based on respect for human rights and democratic values. The programme also adds that there should be the revision of the Dublin Regulation and the passing of the Bossi-Fini law. Europe should also welcome political refugees and create annual European quotas for the reception of economic migrants.
  • +Europa: in the section dedicated to 'civil rights and individual liberties' the party takes a firm position the ius culturae, which should become part of the law on citizenship. +Europa would radically change the legal issues that prevent the integration of foreigners in Italy, overcome the Bossi-Fini law, regulate illegal immigration in various ways (through entry permits for work, search for employment and sponsors). With regard to reception, + Europa proposes an improvement of the SPRAR system, to monitor its quality with a particular focus on the issue of employment. The involvement of Europe in the immigration framework is also cited in order to "introduce legal and safe channels of entry even for unskilled work", resettlement programmes and humanitarian corridors for asylum seekers and, finally, the modification of the Dublin Regulation, looking first at "the family or humanitarian needs of the asylum seeker, as part of a fair redistribution system".
• Movimento 5 Stelle: Ius soli is completely absent from the political programme of the Movement, and does not even appear in the section dedicated to the issue of immigration. On several occasions Di Maio has made statements on the subject, arguing that the ius soli is not a priority of the movement, but rather the support for Italians' income. The 5 Stelle’s premier candidate has insisted that the issue should be discussed at the European level. Regarding immigration in general, the movement's political programme refers to four central points: legal access routes, relocation of asylum seekers, territorial commissions, and international cooperation.

• Liberi e Uguali: Liberi e Uguali’s programme are favorable to the reform of the law on citizenship. In the broadest sense, the party declared that reception and integration are part of the concept of civil and social rights. Liberi e Uguali disagrees completely with the establishment of agreements with the countries of origin of immigrants, where human rights are not guaranteed. In addition, the programme also presents the question of the abolition of the Bossi-Fini law, accompanied by the need to develop a European asylum system that also includes "humanitarian channels and rescue missions". Finally, the reception system should be improved on the basis of the Sprar system.

• Potere al Popolo: Potere al Popolo fully supports the proposal of ius soli and strongly condemns xenophobic and racist views. The party would like to see ius soli approved in order to guarantee citizenship to those who were born or raised in Italy, and to extend "the right to vote at local elections to those who reside permanently in our country". In general, the party opposes all kinds of bilateral agreements that legitimate forced expulsions and rejections, insisting on the need to create a legal and protected channel to Europe. Furthermore, the programme specifies how the Minniti-Orlando law, Bossi-Fini law and the Dublin III Regulation should be abolished.

• Casapound: Casapound is opposed to ius soli in order to avoid "any automatism in acquiring citizenship". In addition, the party suggests revoking citizenship not only to those who commit some serious crimes, but also to "his descendants up to the second generation" (in an interview Simone Di Stefano, he also added up to the third generation). In general, Casapound wants to block the arrival of migrants through interventions in Libya. With regard to regular immigration, access could be given only to those who own a home and work on a regular contract. Again the expulsion of foreign detainees towards their country of origin is mentioned with a very similar position to those of other parties in the center-right wing.