European country shatters leftist Americans’ dreams of escaping Trump admin.
In this DML Report…
Italy has tightened its citizenship laws, effective April 8, 2025, making it harder for Americans seeking to escape the Trump administration to claim Italian passports through ancestry. Previously, anyone with Italian ancestors born after March 17, 1861—the founding of the Kingdom of Italy—could apply for citizenship without generational limits. Now, eligibility requires at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy, cutting off those with more distant ties. This change, enacted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, aims to curb the surge in applications, with 20,000 granted in 2023 and 30,000 in 2024, amid a rise in Italian citizens abroad from 4.6 million in 2014 to 6.4 million in 2024, per Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The shift comes as Americans, reacting to Trump’s re-election and policies like mass deportations and tariff threats, increasingly seek foreign citizenship. Ancestry firms report a 500% spike in U.S. applications for Italian citizenship since 2023, with 80% tied to Italian lineage, driven by political and economic uncertainty. Italy’s updated law mandates that applicants’ Italian parents or grandparents must have been alive on or after March 17, 1861, and not naturalized elsewhere before the applicant’s birth—details often missing from U.S. records due to shoddy 19th-century documentation. Applicants must also prove lineage within two years at Italian consulates, a process slowed by backlogs despite a new $8 million processing center in Rome.
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Critics argue the law discriminates against Italian diaspora descendants, especially Americans facing long waits—up to 18 months in cities like Miami and New York—while supporters say it preserves citizenship integrity. Italian officials, like Consul General Cristiano Musillo, stress it’s not a “passport for shopping in Miami,” targeting practical use over convenience. Meanwhile, Trump’s plans, including a proposed $5 million “Gold Card” visa for wealthy immigrants, contrast with Americans’ exodus, as advisory firms note millionaires and professionals alike seek escape routes. Italy’s move reflects a broader European trend tightening borders, leaving many U.S. hopefuls scrambling for alternatives like Ireland or the UK.