Italy holds referendum on citizenship, worker protections

Italians vote on June 8 and 9 in a referendum on easing citizenship rules and strengthening labour laws, with Ms Giorgia Meloni's government opposing both changes and urging people to abstain.

- 

ROME -

A non-EU adult resident without marriage or blood ties to Italy must currently live in the country for 10 years before he or she can apply for citizenship – a process which can then take years.

The referendum proposal, triggered by a grassroots campaign led by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), would cut this to five years, putting Italy in line with Germany and France.

Campaigners say around 2.5 million people could benefit from the reform, which is being backed by the centre-left Democratic Party.

Ms Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party has prioritised cutting illegal immigration even while increasing the number of legal work visas for migrants, is strongly against it.

She said on June 5 that the current system "is an excellent law, among the most open, in the sense that we have for years been among the European nations that grant the highest number of citizenships each year".