Italians debate citizenship rights amid resurgent racism
(FMT) – ROME: Savio Warnakulasuriya, born in Rome this month, will have to wait for 18 years before he can be sure of being able to remain in the country where he came into the world.
Until then his right to stay in Italy is tied to the permits of his Sri Lankan parents to work as domestic helpers. These papers have to be renewed every two years.
Savio is one of many children born in Italy who Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge says should have citizenship rights at birth, a proposal that has shocked many Italians and drawn a torrent of racist abuse against her.
Italy bears the brunt of clandestine seaborne migration to southern Europe, with thousands reaching its long Mediterranean shores every year in crammed rickety boats. Parties such as the opposition Northern League campaign against boosting immigrant rights, pointing to cultural differences and crime rates.
Kyenge, born in Congo and now Italy’s first black minister, says it is time for a change in approach to citizenship starting with ensuring that immigrant children are not held back from fully integrating with their peers.
For Savio’s father, Fernando, an easing in citizenship rules would be welcome. “The sooner they give our son citizenship, the better. I am a little worried, we want him to carry on living and working here without problems,” he said in an interview.
Erika Arribasplata, a 34-year-old secretary who was born in Rome to Argentinian parents, remembers the difficulties she faced as a child to fully integrate at school because she lacked rights to Italian citizenship.
Insecurity
“I remember when we went on a school trip to England, I couldn’t go through border controls with my group, I had to take a whole other route where I had to wait longer and go through more checks – it was really annoying,” she said.
“But the most annoying thing was being tied to my parents’ permit, and the insecurity that came with that, because I was born here and did not feel part of their culture but I was stuck in the middle,” Arribasplata said.
She made a successful application for citizenship at 18, but others are not so lucky.
Italy’s low fertility rate at 1.4 children per woman means that it will need fresh blood to maintain its ageing population.
But due to bureaucratic processes that Kyenge wants to reduce, some Italian-born children of immigrants can find their citizenship applications rejected at 18 because, for example, they spent some time away from Italy as children.
“We are talking about young people who could become the future leaders of this country, or could lose themselves in the street if suddenly at 18 they find themselves to be different due to some bureaucratic error,” Kyenge told reporters this week.
On Saturday she unveiled a plan to make it easier for children of immigrants to apply for citizenship upon adulthood as part of a series of measures Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s government is introducing to cut red tape and pull the economy out of recession.
Kyenge said she would also be heading to the European parliament soon to propose a common EU-wide approach to citizenship rules.
ROME: Savio Warnakulasuriya, born in Rome this month, will have to wait for 18 years before he can be sure of being able to remain in the country where he came into the world.
Until then his right to stay in Italy is tied to the permits of his Sri Lankan parents to work as domestic helpers. These papers have to be renewed every two years.
Savio is one of many children born in Italy who Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge says should have citizenship rights at birth, a proposal that has shocked many Italians and drawn a torrent of racist abuse against her.
Italy bears the brunt of clandestine seaborne migration to southern Europe, with thousands reaching its long Mediterranean shores every year in crammed rickety boats. Parties such as the opposition Northern League campaign against boosting immigrant rights, pointing to cultural differences and crime rates.
Kyenge, born in Congo and now Italy’s first black minister, says it is time for a change in approach to citizenship starting with ensuring that immigrant children are not held back from fully integrating with their peers.
For Savio’s father, Fernando, an easing in citizenship rules would be welcome. “The sooner they give our son citizenship, the better. I am a little worried, we want him to carry on living and working here without problems,” he said in an interview.
Erika Arribasplata, a 34-year-old secretary who was born in Rome to Argentinian parents, remembers the difficulties she faced as a child to fully integrate at school because she lacked rights to Italian citizenship.
Insecurity
“I remember when we went on a school trip to England, I couldn’t go through border controls with my group, I had to take a whole other route where I had to wait longer and go through more checks – it was really annoying,” she said.
“But the most annoying thing was being tied to my parents’ permit, and the insecurity that came with that, because I was born here and did not feel part of their culture but I was stuck in the middle,” Arribasplata said.
She made a successful application for citizenship at 18, but others are not so lucky.
Italy’s low fertility rate at 1.4 children per woman means that it will need fresh blood to maintain its ageing population.
But due to bureaucratic processes that Kyenge wants to reduce, some Italian-born children of immigrants can find their citizenship applications rejected at 18 because, for example, they spent some time away from Italy as children.
“We are talking about young people who could become the future leaders of this country, or could lose themselves in the street if suddenly at 18 they find themselves to be different due to some bureaucratic error,” Kyenge told reporters this week.
On Saturday she unveiled a plan to make it easier for children of immigrants to apply for citizenship upon adulthood as part of a series of measures Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s government is introducing to cut red tape and pull the economy out of recession.
Kyenge said she would also be heading to the European parliament soon to propose a common EU-wide approach to citizenship rules.
– See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2013/06/21/italians-debate-citizenship-rights-amid-resurgent-racism/#sthash.OwVFELol.dpuf
ROME: Savio Warnakulasuriya, born in Rome this month, will have to wait for 18 years before he can be sure of being able to remain in the country where he came into the world.
Until then his right to stay in Italy is tied to the permits of his Sri Lankan parents to work as domestic helpers. These papers have to be renewed every two years.
Savio is one of many children born in Italy who Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge says should have citizenship rights at birth, a proposal that has shocked many Italians and drawn a torrent of racist abuse against her.
Italy bears the brunt of clandestine seaborne migration to southern Europe, with thousands reaching its long Mediterranean shores every year in crammed rickety boats. Parties such as the opposition Northern League campaign against boosting immigrant rights, pointing to cultural differences and crime rates.
Kyenge, born in Congo and now Italy’s first black minister, says it is time for a change in approach to citizenship starting with ensuring that immigrant children are not held back from fully integrating with their peers.
For Savio’s father, Fernando, an easing in citizenship rules would be welcome. “The sooner they give our son citizenship, the better. I am a little worried, we want him to carry on living and working here without problems,” he said in an interview.
Erika Arribasplata, a 34-year-old secretary who was born in Rome to Argentinian parents, remembers the difficulties she faced as a child to fully integrate at school because she lacked rights to Italian citizenship.
Insecurity
“I remember when we went on a school trip to England, I couldn’t go through border controls with my group, I had to take a whole other route where I had to wait longer and go through more checks – it was really annoying,” she said.
“But the most annoying thing was being tied to my parents’ permit, and the insecurity that came with that, because I was born here and did not feel part of their culture but I was stuck in the middle,” Arribasplata said.
She made a successful application for citizenship at 18, but others are not so lucky.
Italy’s low fertility rate at 1.4 children per woman means that it will need fresh blood to maintain its ageing population.
But due to bureaucratic processes that Kyenge wants to reduce, some Italian-born children of immigrants can find their citizenship applications rejected at 18 because, for example, they spent some time away from Italy as children.
“We are talking about young people who could become the future leaders of this country, or could lose themselves in the street if suddenly at 18 they find themselves to be different due to some bureaucratic error,” Kyenge told reporters this week.
On Saturday she unveiled a plan to make it easier for children of immigrants to apply for citizenship upon adulthood as part of a series of measures Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s government is introducing to cut red tape and pull the economy out of recession.
Kyenge said she would also be heading to the European parliament soon to propose a common EU-wide approach to citizenship rules.
– See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2013/06/21/italians-debate-citizenship-rights-amid-resurgent-racism/#sthash.OwVFELol.dpuf
ROME: Savio Warnakulasuriya, born in Rome this month, will have to wait for 18 years before he can be sure of being able to remain in the country where he came into the world.
Until then his right to stay in Italy is tied to the permits of his Sri Lankan parents to work as domestic helpers. These papers have to be renewed every two years.
Savio is one of many children born in Italy who Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge says should have citizenship rights at birth, a proposal that has shocked many Italians and drawn a torrent of racist abuse against her.
Italy bears the brunt of clandestine seaborne migration to southern Europe, with thousands reaching its long Mediterranean shores every year in crammed rickety boats. Parties such as the opposition Northern League campaign against boosting immigrant rights, pointing to cultural differences and crime rates.
Kyenge, born in Congo and now Italy’s first black minister, says it is time for a change in approach to citizenship starting with ensuring that immigrant children are not held back from fully integrating with their peers.
For Savio’s father, Fernando, an easing in citizenship rules would be welcome. “The sooner they give our son citizenship, the better. I am a little worried, we want him to carry on living and working here without problems,” he said in an interview.
Erika Arribasplata, a 34-year-old secretary who was born in Rome to Argentinian parents, remembers the difficulties she faced as a child to fully integrate at school because she lacked rights to Italian citizenship.
Insecurity
“I remember when we went on a school trip to England, I couldn’t go through border controls with my group, I had to take a whole other route where I had to wait longer and go through more checks – it was really annoying,” she said.
“But the most annoying thing was being tied to my parents’ permit, and the insecurity that came with that, because I was born here and did not feel part of their culture but I was stuck in the middle,” Arribasplata said.
She made a successful application for citizenship at 18, but others are not so lucky.
Italy’s low fertility rate at 1.4 children per woman means that it will need fresh blood to maintain its ageing population.
But due to bureaucratic processes that Kyenge wants to reduce, some Italian-born children of immigrants can find their citizenship applications rejected at 18 because, for example, they spent some time away from Italy as children.
“We are talking about young people who could become the future leaders of this country, or could lose themselves in the street if suddenly at 18 they find themselves to be different due to some bureaucratic error,” Kyenge told reporters this week.
On Saturday she unveiled a plan to make it easier for children of immigrants to apply for citizenship upon adulthood as part of a series of measures Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s government is introducing to cut red tape and pull the economy out of recession.
Kyenge said she would also be heading to the European parliament soon to propose a common EU-wide approach to citizenship rules.
– See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2013/06/21/italians-debate-citizenship-rights-amid-resurgent-racism/#sthash.OwVFELol.dpuf
