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- 📜 Lawyers and Vice-Presidents of the "Natitaliani" Association, Maristella Urbini and Claudia Antonini, Defend Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis
📜 Lawyers and Vice-Presidents of the "Natitaliani" Association, Maristella Urbini and Claudia Antonini, Defend Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis
They Spoke at the Conference Held at the Court of Florence on 14 March 2025
Donatella Lenoci
April 11, 2025
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ The association “Natitaliani” defends the rights of Italian descendants and promotes accurate media representation of jure sanguinis applicants.
✔️ Restrictions on citizenship by descent threaten to sever Italy’s cultural ties with millions of its descendants worldwide.
✔️ Lawyers Urbini and Antonini advocate for recognising jure sanguinis as a cultural bridge and a promise of belonging - not just a legal mechanism.
Table of Contents
The following is a quick summary of the contributions of Lawyers and Vice-Presidents of “Natitaliani” Association, Maristella Urbini and Claudia Antonini, at the Conference in Florence on 14 March 2025.
Maristella Urbini, Lawyer and Vice-President of “Natitaliani”
Among the speakers at the conference held at the Court of Florence on 14 March 2025, which focused on the constitutionality of Italian citizenship by descent, was Italian lawyer Maristella Urbini.
As Vice-President of the newly formed association “Natitaliani” (“Born Italians”), Lawyer Urbini highlighted the importance of jure sanguinis not merely as a legal principle, but as a cultural bridge linking Italy with millions of people of Italian heritage worldwide.
The Legacy of the Italian Emigrants
The core of Lawyer Urbini's address focused on explaining the birth of the association “Natitaliani” and why such an association is urgently needed.
She began by arguing that Italian diaspora, the emigration of approximately 30 million Italians between the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to economic hardship, was not a source of shame but a testament to the resilience and hard work of Italian ancestors.
In 1900, Italy counted only 34 million inhabitants, so almost the entirety of the population was forced to leave because there wasn't enough bread for everyone here.
These emigrants, she said, carried Italian values, culture, and identity around the world, and their legacy is now an essential part of Italy's global influence.
She emphasised that the diaspora has created a global network of 80 million people of Italian origin across the globe, contributing significantly to Italy's cultural and economic influence worldwide, estimated at over 2.5 trillion euros in economic value.
Drawing parallels with countries like China and France, which have long recognised and leveraged their diasporas for national growth, Lawyer Urbini said Italy should treat Italian descendants as part of an extended nation, a vision that, instead, is not currently reflected in Italian political and legal discourse.
Threats to Italian Heritage
Italian lawyer Urbini expressed deep concerns about recent Italian political and judges decision that aim to restrict the recognition of Italian citizenship for descendants of Italian emigrants.
She argued this has also been fuelled by negative media portrayals of Italian descendants as opportunistic "invaders", solely seeking passports for personal gain.
What she lamented was the lack of nuanced reporting, which often fails to distinguish between legitimate applicants and those who may fall victim to unscrupulous intermediaries.
Rather than restricting citizenship rights, she argued, the solution lies in addressing localised administrative challenges, such as those in registry offices and courts (notably in Venice), through targeted investment and increased resources.
As an example, she cited the experience of Judge Laganà, former president of the Venice Court, who requested additional judges to manage the workload but did not receive them.
Legislative changes, she argued, must not come at the cost of severing ties with millions of people whose heritage is undeniably Italian.
Natitaliani: The Voice of the Italian Descendants
In response to the current challenges to the jure sanguinis principle, the association "Natitaliani" (Italian Borns) was established in December 2024.
The association is committed to defending the rights of Italian descendants and counter misinformation.
“Natitaliani” will fight to save the rights of Italian borns (Italian citizens by descent)
Claudia Antonini, Lawyer and Vice-President of “Natitaliani”
Lawyer Claudia Antonini delivered a passionate contribution at the conference in Florence on 14 March 2025.
Being an Italian descendant herself, she offered her personal reflection, emphasising the inherent right to citizenship based on ancestry, irrespective of birthplace.
She pointed that the distinction between Italians born in Italy and Italians born abroad lies not in the right to citizenship itself, but in the accessibility of services that materialise this right.
She also expressed concern about increasing political and judicial attempts to restrict these rights.
Jure Sanguinis: The Right to Belong
Lawyer Antonini spoke about her own family's experience due to hardship.
The ancestors of today's descendants endured this hardship - she reminded - not out of choice, but out of necessity.
For those who left Italy, and for their descendants, jure sanguinis was not merely about the possibility of return or inheritance; it was about fostering a sense of belonging, a connection to their roots, and preventing the alienation that their ancestors experienced in foreign lands.
Lawyer Antonini's personal experience of not being considered fully Brazilian in Brazil due to her Italian heritage, and then facing a similar lack of recognition upon her return to Italy, powerfully illustrated this struggle for belonging that many Italian descendants face.
Jure Sanguinis: A Testament of Trust
For the Italian diaspora, Lawyer Antonini asserted, jure sanguinis was not solely a legal provision but a testament of trust from past generations, promising future generations a genuine opportunity for belonging.
The process of seeking recognition of Italian citizenship allows descendants to rediscover their roots, trace a path of self-identification, reunite families, and ultimately become active citizens.
It is a process of cultural retrieval that deserves to be honoured.
In closing, Lawyer Antonini powerfully stated:
As Italian born, we claim our right to have our voice
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Photo Credit: Abruzzo, Italia, by Federico Di Dio