Overview

• The referendum on June 8–9 asks Italians to decide whether to halve the legal residency period for non-EU citizens from 10 to 5 years before applying for nationality.
• The current law, in force since 1992, requires 10 years of uninterrupted residence for non-EU applicants and the reform would reinstate the five-year rule that prevailed for eight decades.
• High-profile figures including Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have urged voters to abstain, deepening political divisions over integration and roots in Italian society.
• Recent polls show that most voters remain unaware of the referendum’s details and intend to stay home, putting the outcome at risk of invalidation if turnout fails to meet the quorum.
• If approved, the change could benefit about 2.3 million non-EU residents and automatically extend to minor children living with newly naturalized parents.