The Ius Scholae principle, granting citizenship to foreign minors who complete a mandatory school cycle in Italy, is sparking debate in Italian politics. According to Italy's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), only 300,000 out of the 900,000 foreign minors in Italy would qualify under this proposed reform.
Italy hosts around 900,000 foreign minors without citizenship, but only 300,000 would benefit from the proposed Ius Scholae reform, according to a report by 'Openpolis - with children' based on ISTAT data, supported by organizations like Oxfam and Save the Children.
This group makes up about 10 percent of residents under 17, mainly attending schools in central and northern Italy. They represent approximately 13 percent of minors in Central Italy, 14 percent in the North-East, 15 percent in the North-West, and 5 percent in the South and islands.
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What is the 'Ius Scholae' proposal
The Ius Scholae reform, currently dividing the center-right majority in Parliament after Forza Italia’s endorsement, would allow foreign minors born in Italy to acquire citizenship if they have legally resided in the country continuously and attended school for at least five years in a recognized institution.
However, only about 300,000 minors would meet the proposal’s criteria (born in Italy or arrived before age 12, continuous residence, and five years of schooling), according to ISTAT's 2022 report. The estimate assumes that potential applicants started school at six and remained enrolled until age 16, the mandatory education limit.
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68% of interested minors living in Centre-North
According to the study, 25 percent of youths potentially interested in the reform live in Lombardy. Five regions in the Centre-North -- Lombardy, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Piedmont -- host 68 percent of those who would have the right to apply for citizenship.
About 26 percent of the eligible minors are of Romanian origin, followed by Albanian (10.1 percent), Chinese (9.6 percent), and Moroccan (9.1 percent) minors.
Chinese adults are less likely to pursue Italian citizenship, which impacts the number of Chinese minors interested in becoming citizens. Conversely, many Albanian and Moroccan minors gain citizenship when their parents do, reducing the number of potential beneficiaries of the reform.
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