‘We did everything they wanted’: The American families caught in Italy’s citizenship crackdown
‘We did everything they wanted’: The American families caught in Italy’s citizenship crackdown
One year after Italy revised its citizenship by descent policies, the Matwick family’s dream of rejoining their ancestral homeland has turned into a legal nightmare. Kellen Matwick, his wife Jacqueline, and their two children made the move to Italy in August 2024, hoping to claim their heritage. Matwick, whose great-grandparents hailed from central Italy, belongs to the Italian diaspora—a community that has long sought to reconnect with their roots. But the new law, effective March 28, 2025, has upended their plans, leaving them stranded in a system that no longer recognizes their path to citizenship.
A legal shift with no warning
The Italian government introduced the law through an emergency decree, citing the growing number of citizens by descent who had never resided in Italy. This change was later reinforced by Italy’s constitutional court, which signaled its intent to reject the first legal challenge to the rule. The Matwicks, like many others, were unaware of the impending shift when they made their decision. Without a grace period for those already in the process, they now face uncertainty in their daily lives, unable to secure employment, travel freely, or access healthcare.
For the Matwicks, relocating to Italy was the first step toward a new chapter. The couple, who had previously lived in New York City, moved to Arizona with their two children in 2022. They chose Italy over Spain, where Kellen could have obtained a digital nomad visa, because citizenship by descent offered a more stable future. Though both spoke Spanish fluently, the family opted for Italy, believing the process would grant them a sense of belonging.
The bureaucracy of reintegration
Obtaining citizenship as an Italo-descendant involves layers of administrative hurdles. New arrivals must secure a long-term rental agreement, register with local authorities—a 45-day requirement—and acquire a residency permit from the police. Only after these steps can they submit their paperwork for “recognition” of citizenship, which was once automatic from birth. The process, which can take months to years, became even more complex with the 2025 law.
To expedite matters, some families moved to smaller, rural areas. The Matwicks rejected this strategy, choosing to live in the city they desired, fully integrating into Italian life. “We said, ‘Let’s do it the right way,’” Kellen recalled. “We treated it like an actual move, chose the city we wanted to live in. We did everything they wanted us to do. Now I feel so stupid—because we did it the right way, we got penalized.”
After two years of gathering documents, the family arrived in Turin in August 2024. Their next step was to notify local authorities of their intent to claim citizenship. However, their efforts were met with delays. “It was August, so nobody responded,” Jacqueline said. “I messaged again in three weeks, and they told us to come in the middle of October.” By that time, the Italian government had issued a circular that invalidated thousands of Americans’ eligibility for citizenship, leaving them trapped in limbo.
“It didn’t seem like a risk—the process has existed for decades.”
The law’s impact stretches beyond the Matwicks, affecting millions with Italian heritage. For those who moved to Italy in pursuit of their roots, the revised rules have created a precarious situation. With no clear path forward, many are left questioning whether their efforts to reclaim their identity were in vain.
