In 2025, US-born Sabrina Crawford faced a significant setback in her quest for Italian citizenship after the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni implemented a new law restricting citizenship eligibility to those with a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen at birth and who did not acquire dual nationality. The legislation, introduced in May 2024, effectively bars individuals claiming citizenship through more distant ancestors, a route Crawford was pursuing based on her great-grandfather’s Italian heritage.

Crawford, from the San Francisco Bay Area, had invested years into the citizenship process, including extensive genealogical research and a trip to the Calabrian village of Verbicaro, where her great-grandfather was born. Her efforts culminated in awaiting a key document confirming that her ancestor had not naturalized as a US citizen before she could submit her application. The new restrictions, introduced abruptly, halted her plans. “This horrible news really upended all of my plans, all of my hopes, all of my goals,” Crawford said.

The law was enacted with the stated aim of tightening citizenship criteria to prevent exploitation by individuals with tenuous links to Italy, and to alleviate a backlog of citizenship applications in local Italian councils and consulates. Meloni’s government emphasized the importance of granting citizenship strictly to those with a genuine connection to the nation. The move followed several controversial cases, such as claims that the Italian consulate in Venezuela had illegally issued citizenship to members of Hezbollah, and allegations of unauthorized discounted citizenship offers in Brazil.

The tightening of citizenship rules has disproportionately affected applicants from countries with large Italian diasporas, including the United States, Brazil, and Argentina, where millions emigrated from Italy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite strong objections from many applicants, Italy’s constitutional court upheld the law in March 2025. However, a legal challenge brought by two US families, including Crawford’s case, is now before Italy’s supreme court, which is expected to issue a ruling in the coming weeks.

Represented by lawyer Marco Mellone, the plaintiffs argue that the law should not apply retroactively to individuals born before its enactment. Mellone contends that citizenship rights grounded in the principle of ius sanguinis — the right of blood descent dating back to Italy’s unification in 1861 — cannot be retroactively revoked without violating constitutional protections. “It touches on a [citizenship] right at the time of birth and so it should not be applied retroactively,” Mellone said.

The controversy highlights broader difficulties Italy faces with citizenship policy amid demographic challenges. Despite a rise in children born to immigrant parents, birthright citizenship remains restricted, and a 2024 referendum aimed at easing these rules failed due to low voter turnout. Eurostat data forecasts Italy’s population could decline from roughly 59 million today to 44 million by the end of the century, a trend Meloni has described as a “demographic winter.” Critics argue that limiting access to citizenship for descendants of emigrants and children of immigrants hampers efforts to address the population decline.

Crawford, who previously lived and worked in Italy on temporary visas, hopes for a favorable decision that would allow her to continue her application through a regional court in Calabria. “I hope there’s still a ray of hope for people like me who have invested so much time and energy,” she said. Jennifer Daley, another US applicant involved in the legal challenge, expressed similar sentiments, noting her own decade-long experience navigating Italy’s citizenship process. “This has been a long journey, but I have hope that justice will prevail,” Daley said.