Citizenship debate: Fuchsia Nissoli on Ius Scholae: “We discriminate against those of Italian origin “

From the unified text on the Ius Scholae  “The idea of ​​a world where borders do not exist and the right to acquire citizenship is guaranteed, even to young foreigners: This is a positive, non-limiting idea. Instead, the reality is the reverse.” These are the words of Fucsia Nissoli Fitzgerald, the Forza Italia deputy representing Italians in North and Central America, in her speech in the Parliament on the Ius Scholae law, reproduced here in its entirety.

Dear Colleagues,

You will forgive me if today, to deal with an issue that is dear to me and that I have been dealing with for a long time, I will begin my speech in a somewhat unusual way.

I start with a question: do you have any idea of ​​the sadness that causes abandonment? That veil that remains of the eyes of the people afflicted by this problem and that goes beyond a look, often forcibly smiling? A profound sadness which, with adequate sensitivity, can be seen at the bottom of the eyes, beyond the gaze and which leads straight to the heart.

Certainly, there are various types of abandonment, more or less serious, more or less involving, but whatever type it is, they generate a feeling that is difficult to forget.

I ask: would you like to be abandoned, sometimes by friends, in times of need, or even by loved ones or, even, by your country, the one that gave you birth and for which you undeniably feel a deep sense of belonging and from which are there legitimate expectations?

Well, believe me, being abandoned by your country can be an experience that marks you. Of course, you can go further, but you will remain forever with the idea, the feeling and the burden of having been abandoned.

I enter into the merits. The unified text of the ius scholae law mentions: “The foreign minor born in Italy or who entered it by the age of 12, who resided legally and without interruption in Italy and who, in accordance with current legislation, has regularly attended, in the national territory, for at least five years, one or more school cycles at institutions belonging to the national education system or three-year or four-year professional education and training courses suitable for obtaining a professional qualification, acquires Italian citizenship “

What beautiful words. We can see the idea of ​​a world where borders do not exist and we want to guarantee, even to young foreigners, the right to acquire citizenship.

A positive thought… not limiting. However, colleagues, this is not the case.

No will to recognize a right because, otherwise, a basic rule would apply: equal – rights – for ALL.

On the contrary, however, when I presented an amendment, which was not even discussed in committee and in which it was asked to allow those who were born in Italy and lost citizenship following expatriation to reacquire it with a simple administrative request at the competent consulate of foreign residence, I saw the request fall on deaf ears to guarantee ALL the same right and the even more incredible thing is that I did not understand why.

I was told that the horizon of the ius scholae cannot be extended to those who live abroad. Are we discriminating against those of Italian origin?

But does it make sense?

The issue is not whether or not it makes sense to recognize citizenship of foreign citizens on the basis of their persistence in the territory, without in any way considering the education and examples that these young people receive, on a daily basis, in the family.

It is not a question of verifying whether this right should be linked to the effective acceptance of that cultural, liberal, pro-European and democratic model that we obtained with the wars and sacrifices of our fathers.

It is not even a question of understanding whether these future citizens, to whom we want to guarantee rights, have a clear vision of the rights they must respect when being Italian citizens, first of all respect for women, but just to name one.

We assume that a few years of school guarantees a correct vision and culture to integrate into a society that, as I said, has conquered these rights even at the cost of living.

However, colleagues, I am simply asking for equal rights in favor of people who were born in Italy, who studied in Italy, some have even done military service and worked, paying taxes, in our country, in Italy.

Therefore, they have the same characteristics required of foreign minors. The only discriminating factor (and I use this term not by chance) is that they are our compatriots, Italian citizens, like me, like you!

Of people educated and raised in the same social and cultural vision I was talking about a moment ago; heritage of each of us, of each of you.

They would also be so for the law as, when there was the possibility of regaining citizenship, after the launch of the Bossi-Fini law, they were not informed and did not become aware of this possibility, not even on the occasion of the extensions granted before the 2000. And, frankly, I ask you: have we made sure to duly communicate this opportunity abroad and to our communities?

We define ourselves as a state of law and it seems that, even with this law, we want to prove it.

We want to defend the rights of Ukrainian citizens, which, by the way, I absolutely agree with.

I met entrepreneurs who, during the summer break, go to Africa to work, to build schools, wells and infrastructures, to help those in need.

We cannot count the priests and nuns killed in various continents to help the weakest… and I could also go on considering civil society, for hours listing our vision of hospitality.

A historical vision and I, who am partly Sicilian, are familiar with the architecture of this extraordinary land that has “accepted” and “incorporated” cultures and people ranging from the far north of Europe to Africa.

Everything I am presenting to you, briefly and with mere examples, is part of the culture and knowledge of citizens like you … in particular, like me, who see in this refusal to consider them citizens by right, an abandonment.

Not an abandonment from the bureaucracy, but from the institutions, from politics, from all of us and from colleagues in the classroom.

I need not tell you that those who witness all this, helpless, feel abandoned by their country.

My battle, colleagues, is partly selfish, but not because I am one of them, but because I do not want in any way to feel the weight and responsibility of this abandonment.

I could tell you how right it is, and I did, but also how appropriate it is, in the interest of the country, of how consistent it is with our history and culture or, more simply, how it is at the basis of our Catholic culture.

But the real question is another.

Do you really want to be responsible for an act of abandonment towards a community of our compatriots?

I believe and hope that your sensitivity will guide you in your answer because here, today, we are not talking about numbers, but about people.

Of our compatriots, of our relatives.

I hope that common sense and reasonableness take over because we are in a very delicate moment, these are sad days for everyone, we need cohesion and solidarity, wisdom and responsibility, we are all Italians and as such we must also respect those who have had to leave ours homeland out of necessity but remained Italian at heart, in everyday life, but the hardships of life, wedged with rules not always known, led them not to be able to be citizens according to the law.