Italy’s citizenship referendum campaign is triumphant. On Tuesday (September 24) one of its leaders, the opposition MP Riccardo Magi, from the left-leaning party Più Europa (More Europe) announced on social media: "We did it! In just a few days 500,000 citizens signed up for the #CitizenshipReferendum."

Speaking to the Italian news agency Vista, Magi thanked those who had supported the campaign, including celebrities and mayors across Italy.

Other organizers include the Italian Socialist Party, Oxfam Italia and Action Aid.

Political gridlock

The current citizenship law was created in 1992. Political gridlock in Italy since then has meant that any attempts to change it have always been blocked or fallen at some hurdle in favor of matters considered more important at the time.

The long-standing debate gained new momentum after Italy celebrated the success of many of its multi-cultural athletes at the Paris Olympic Games.

Magi said that he believed being able to sign the petition online had also helped the latest campaign. He urged people to keep adding to the petition before the deadline on September 30.

"This is just the first step," said the politician.

Ten years prior to naturalization

Current rules in Italy dictate that you must live for at least ten years in Italy before applying for naturalization. For children born in Italy to foreigners, an application for citizenship cannot be made until they turn 18.

Magi told the Italian TV channel La 7 on September 25 that he hoped the law would halve that time, to five years.

"Citizenship laws are the way in which a country defines its own identity, as well as looking to its future" he said. "At the moment, we have young people, maybe 25 or 27 years old, who were born here, have studied here, and yet don’t hold Italian citizenship. I think ignoring that and not recognizing them is a kind of self-harm for a country."

A change in the law would make around 2.5 million people eligible for citizenship, according to supporters of the campaign.

Magi said those who had signed the petition had "[chosen] Italy to live, study, love and grow, those who imagine their future in our country, are Italian."

The referendum would be "the first step towards a more just law that recognizes every one of their daughters, every one of their sons, as Italian."

Italy has long struggled against a declining birth rate, one of the lowest in Europe. This new law would also help counter that, say campaigners, as well as acknowledging the contribution foreigners are already making to the country.

Also read: 3,000 stateless people in Italy

Migration needed to boost the economy

Recent government studies have found that Italy needs migration to promote economic growth in the country. Even under the current government, whose anti-migrant rhetoric is strong, more and more seasonal work permits are being issued to try to supply sectors like agriculture with the personnel they need.

However, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stands by the 10-year wait for citizenship and she sees "no need to change the law." One of her coalition partners, the League Party (Lega) led by Matteo Salvini agrees, but Silvio Berlusconi's former partner Forza Italia has indicated it might be willing to back change.

Also read: Campaign to change path to citizenship in Italy gathers pace

This is about Italy's future

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, campaigner Antonella Soldo said the citizenship reform issue had touched people’s hearts and consciousness.

She added that it was only fair that millions of Italians without citizenship who "contribute to this country, work, pay taxes, sometimes more and better than Italians with citizenship do, should be recognized, and not humiliated day in day out, as they currently are by being refused citizenship."

Soldo said the gathering of so many signatures proved that this was "the right moment" to make a move, and that politicians could no longer push people away by telling them that this wasn’t quite the right time.

In order to trigger the referendum, the request now needs approval from Italy’s two highest courts, and there would need to be a voter turnout of at least 50 percent before any results of the referendum would be considered valid.

If successful, a referendum could be triggered sometime in 2025, according to Reuters. Recent referendums have struggled to meet the 50 percent turnout required, so campaigners will have to continue to push their arguments right up until a potential vote.

With Reuters, ANSA, Vista and AFP