Organized with the Graduate Studies Seminar.
Italy is one of the most generous countries in the European Union in granting citizenship by descent, while access to nationality remains particularly restrictive towards the foreign-born residents and their offspring. The same asymmetric pattern applies to political rights and electoral representation: the laws of 2000-2001 granted external voting rights and allowed for direct representation of the Italian nationals abroad, expanding the spaces of political action across and beyond the national borders, while long-term resident immigrants are still excluded from electoral participation and representation, even at the local level.

This dialogue will address the politics of identity and belonging in Italy and will explore how and to what extent both emigration and immigration shaped Italy´s citizenship policies since the unification of the state in 1861. The talk will offer a critical analysis of the current legislation on external voting and it will discuss the pitfalls in excluding the immigrant population from any form of political inclusion. Speakers will engage in debate with the audience about the politics of identity and belonging in Italy and whether the Italian case represents an exception in the European Union.