Italy wants to repopulate and calls the descendants of Italian immigrants

Italy wants to repopulate with children of immigrants that once they went to America or other latitudes. For this reason, the Associazione Unione Italo Discendenti nel Mondo (UID) and Casa Calabria, the University of Calabria (Unical) and the Calabrian municipality of Maida, jointly launch a project aimed at encouraging Italian descendants to return to the motherland. of their ancestors and, above all, to stay in Italy.

The Calabrian authorities see in these prodigal sons a force with great potential to repopulate the south of Italy. To attract them, they have implemented a series of measures ranging from support for the reconstruction of the citizenship looking for employment, housing and even revalidation of university degrees, if necessary.

This pioneering project is carried out with the municipality of Maida, in the province of Catanzaro, Region of Calabria, as a spearhead, where approximately 4,600 inhabitants live.

Maida It was built on a hill and its name became famous thanks to a battle between France and England at the beginning of the 19th century, and also because the ancestors of the American journalist Gay Talese, one of the fathers of the “new journalism, have left for the United States. “.

“Italy needs its Italian descendants, and Italians in the world – he told the Italian agency ANSA Andrea Pacia, president of UID- because it’s an aging country, and after the pandemic everything changed completely. But we must create the conditions for the return: we have 21 million descendants of Italians in Argentina42 million in Brazil, you can practically rejuvenate Italy whenever you want. “

“The proposed invitation to the repopulation of towns and small towns, and in particular the question of the entry into Italy of generations of descendants of Italians, particularly in crisis zones of Central and South America, or more generally with less development than ours, assesses the main limits and obstacles to their integration ”, details a report on the situation of Italian descendants in the world, prepared by UID.

“Italy needs its Italian descendants, and Italians in the world “

The main obstacles identified by the Association are insufficient or non-existent knowledge of the Italian language and culture; the flight to other European countries after the Italian descendants obtained the nationality of their ancestors; and the preference that, for socio-economic reasons, the children of immigrants have for the cities of the north, instead of going to the regions of the south and their islands.

“Italy It is the only country in the world where there are no limits to the recognition of citizenship – observes Pacia in dialogue with ANSA – but this recognition has increased considerably over time with the sole aim of moving to European countries that speak Spanish or Portuguese, and even to the United States or others European countries ”, estimates Pacia, director of the UID.

Between 1998 and 2006, 600,000 certificates of Italian nationality by descent were issued: of which the 40% in Argentina, 20% in Brazil and, in France (54% of the total of the European continent) and in Switzerland (25%).

40% of citizenship procedures Italy receives come from Argentina, home to 21 million descendants of Italians

Candidates for citizenship in Argentina and Brazil – added the president of the Associazione Unione Italo Discendenti nel Mondo – come from the middle and upper class, with a high level of education. But the preferences go to Spain, a figure confirmed by the 550% increase in the Italian community in this country, especially in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​where half of that percentage is Italian-Argentinian.

The objective is therefore to create the conditions for Italian descendants come back and stay in Italy. With this goal in mind, UID spoke to businessmen, municipalities, the University of Calabria and other associations: “¿¿What does the Italian descendant need to return to Italy? That the municipality know how to guide it for the recognition of the citizenship, that can accommodation. AND job“, explained Andrea Pacia.

“Entrepreneurs have made themselves available; in addition, it is now possible that the person who proceeds to the recognition of citizenship obtains a work permit in the meantime.

Because recognition is a right from birth: until the law changes, children of Italian citizens are Italian. This law was not even modified by the founding fathers of the Republic; that means it must stay that way, ”he stressed.

Italy wants to repopulate

The project will start in September, and around fifteen candidates writing to the UID will be selected, who will have to guarantee a stay of six months in the municipality of Maida and can have Italian lessons. In addition, Unical will assess the conversion of foreign study diplomas to Italian diplomas, Pacia said.

The municipality of Maida will offer them work in the agricultural sector, so that they can participate in the harvest of olives, grapes and other crops, but also in tourism. For this sector, Italian descendants who speak Spanish, Portuguese or English will be sought.

“We start with Maida But we would like to replicate this project in all regions: not only Calabria is depopulated, but also regions like Friuli Venezia Giulia, because people do not want to live in the mountains, there is a lack of housing and infrastructure. We still prefer if they are of Calabrian origin, but we are open to all, “he added.

With this initiative, the municipality of Maida also aspires to achieve European Union funds promote repopulation and improve the city’s services, to make it more attractive to new inhabitants.

Finally, Italy promotes the return of Italians abroad by offering facilities and tax exemptions, both to develop a professional activity and for those who are retired and seek a new horizon to enjoy their retirement years, reports ANSA.

mm / ds