The legal landscape of Italian citizenship has undergone a radical transformation unprecedented in Italy’s republican history; the current government has closed the doors of their ancestors’ homeland to the descendants of Italians. For decades, the principle of iure sanguinis stood as an almost immovable pillar, allowing generations of descendants of Italian emigrants worldwide to claim their connection to their ancestors’ homeland without generational limits. However, the enactment of Decree-Law 36/2025, dated March 28, 2025—later converted with amendments into Law 74/2025 on May 23, 2025—has overstepped the bounds of legality, with retroactive effect on rights acquired at birth, establishing generational barriers, discriminating against people of Italian descent by classifying them into different categories of citizens, and restricting the right of blood to only the children and grandchildren of individuals with exclusive Italian citizenship, arbitrarily recognizing the “effective bond” only for these two generations. Decree 36/2025, also known as the “Tajani Decree” or the “Decree of Shame”—a reference to Italy’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs and the decree’s shameful content. The community of Italian descendants living in various parts of the world is deeply hurt; its members share a sense of pain and helplessness in the face of the Italian government’s injustice. In this context of a crisis involving rights acquired at birth and legitimate expectations, as well as a need for support and assistance, the Association Unione dei Discendenti di Italiani nel Mondo (A.U.D.I.M.) has emerged—a key organization in the civil struggle for the rights of people of Italian descent, based in Rome, the Italian capital.

Legislative Developments and the Paradigm Shift in Italian Citizenship

To understand the impact of current regulations, it is essential to analyze the legal framework that was in effect until March 28, 2025. Italian citizenship has been based on transmission by blood, from parent to child, from generation to generation, successively regulated by the Civil Code of 1865, Law 555 of 1912, and Law 91 of 1992. This system allowed a descendant of an Italian born abroad to be recognized as an Italian citizen, provided they could demonstrate an unbroken line of descent from an Italian ancestor who had not renounced their citizenship before the birth of their direct descendant.

The Italian government, in issuing Decree-Law 36/2025—after having in various ways offended the Italian diaspora—justified this measure of necessity and urgency by citing a “continuous and exponential growth” of potential citizens residing abroad who, while holding other nationalities, lacked effective ties to the Republic. According to the decree’s explanatory memorandum, this situation posed a risk to national security.

Timeline of the Reform and Its Consolidation

The speed with which this reform was implemented underscores the political determination to bring the era of unlimited iure sanguinis to a close.

Legislative Milestone	Date of Action	Description and Legal Effect
Retroactive Cut-off Date	March 27, 2025	Deadline for applications to be governed by the previous regulations.
Issuance of Decree-Law 36/2025	March 28, 2025	Publication in the Official Gazette with immediate effect of the restrictions.
Parliamentary approval; the Decree became law.	May 20, 2025	The Chamber of Deputies definitively approves the conversion into law.
Enactment of Law 74/2025	May 23, 2025	Official entry into force of the new permanent citizenship regime.
Founding of A.U.D.I.M.	July 4, 2025	Formal establishment of the association with headquarters in Rome following the entry into force of the law.
Hearing before the Constitutional Court	March 11, 2026	Law 74/2025 brought before the Constitutional Court by the judge of Turin, to be examined for content contrary to constitutional principles.
Press Release from the Constitutional Court	March 12, 2026	The Constitutional Court issued a statement expressing a negative response to the declaration of unconstitutionality of Law 74/2025.

The Unione dei Discendenti di Italiani nel Mondo (A.U.D.I.M.): Legal Status and Registration

The Unione dei Discendenti di Italiani nel Mondo (A.U.D.I.M.) is not merely a movement that advocates and makes demands, but a legally recognized entity officially registered in Italy. Its creation responds to the need to provide a formal legal structure for the defense of the rights of descendants vis-à-vis the Italian State.

Corporate Identity and Constitution

Official Name: Unione dei Discendenti di Italiani nel Mondo (A.U.D.I.M.) Association.

Date of Incorporation: July 4, 2025. This date is symbolic and strategic, occurring just 42 days after the enactment of Law 74/2025, which marks its origin as a direct response to the legislation.

Headquartes: Roma, Italia. Establishing its headquarters in the Italian capital is essential to facilitate dialogue with the Ministries (Interior and Foreign Affairs), Parliament, and other agencies centralized in the capital.

Leadership: The presidency is held by Ailen Acevedo. Her leadership is characterized by a focus on raising awareness and international mobilization, coordinating meetings with sociologists, members of the COMITES (Comitati degli Italiani all’Estero), and members of Parliament. Raising awareness of this issue and making demands on the government through mass media and social media, serving as the voice of thousands of people affected by this shameful law.

Legal Status and Stated Objectives

As an association registered in Italy, A.U.D.I.M. operates within the framework of the Third Sector (possibly as an APS—Associazione di Promozione Sociale), which allows it to represent collective interests in judicial and administrative proceedings. Its bylaws and public objectives focus on:

• Recognition of Citizenship by Blood (Iure Sanguinis): Defending the validity of the right of blood as a pillar of national identity, without the limitations imposed by the new law.
• Fighting the injustice of the “Decree of Shame” 36/2025, enacted as Law 74/2025: Exposing the human and legal consequences of Law 74/2025, especially for those Italian-descended emigrants who had already invested their savings and sold all their property in their country of origin to settle in Italy.
• Global Awareness of the Cause: Create a communication network spanning from Italy to all diaspora communities to denounce the “stripping of rights” before international organizations.

Technical Analysis of Law 74/2025: The End of Citizenship Without Generational Limits.

Law 74/2025 introduces Article 3-bis to Law 91/1992, fundamentally altering the presumption of citizenship acquisition for those born abroad. As a result of this reform, the automatic recognition of citizenship by blood (iure sanguinis) is no longer considered an inherent right dating back to the moment of birth without additional conditions.

Generational Limitations and Degree of Kinship

Law 74/2025 introduces Article 3-bis into Law 91/1992, fundamentally altering the presumption of citizenship acquisition for those born abroad. Following this reform, the automatic recognition of citizenship by descent is no longer considered an inherent right dating back to the moment of birth without additional conditions.

The reform establishes that Italian citizenship by descent will only be automatically recognized if one of the following generational requirements is met:

• The applicant has a father or mother (biological or adoptive) who is exclusively Italian, with no other nationality.
• The applicant has a grandfather or grandmother (first-degree ascendant of the parents) who is exclusively Italian, with no other nationality.

This second-degree limit (up to grandparents) represents a drastic change for those whose connection to Italy dates back to great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents and whose access has been restricted or blocked.

Procedural Impact and the Reversal of the Burden of Proof

Another issue that A.U.D.I.M. is challenging is the modification of procedural rules. Under Law 74/2025, the burden of proving “negative facts”—such as that no ancestor in the line renounced citizenship or became a naturalized citizen before passing it on—rests entirely on the applicant. Furthermore, the use of oaths or testimony is prohibited, requiring “exclusively documentary” evidence of the utmost rigor.

Ailen Acevedo’s Leadership and the Response to the Diaspora

President Ailen Acevedo has been a pioneer in denouncing the situation of “supervening irregularity” faced by many descendants, especially Argentines, who are in Italy having sold their belongings in their country of origin to begin the process under the old law and now find themselves in a legal limbo.

A.U.D.I.M.’s Actions in Response to the Law

Under the leadership of Ailén Acevedo, the association has implemented a three-pronged strategy:

• Engagement with COMITES and CGIE: Collaboration with COMITES presidents (such as Alberto Becchi) to channel the concerns of Italians abroad to Parliament.
• Legal counsel with Attorney Domenico Ruoppolo, information on the scope of the New Law, and assistance in specific cases related to citizenship procedures: Information for members on how to comply with the new legal requirements, updates and developments regarding events affecting their rights, possibilities, and prospects, and assistance for individuals stranded in Italy due to the sudden Decree-Law 36/2025, which became Law 74/2025.
• Legal Battle: Support in filing appeals challenging the retroactive application of the law, an issue that remains a subject of debate in Italian courts.
• Raising awareness of the current situation of Italian descendants displaced by the New Citizenship Law, whose rights have been revoked, through various media outlets: TV, radio, newspapers, Zoom meetings, and social media.

Conclusion: The role of A.U.D.I.M. in the New Landscape

The legal establishment of the Association of Descendants of Italians Worldwide (A.U.D.I.M.) on July 4, 2025, marks a milestone in the organization of the diaspora, and in raising awareness of the issues surrounding the harmful consequences of the New Citizenship Law 74/2025, which currently affects a large number of people of Italian descent.

While the Italian state leans toward a model of “effective ties” and territoriality, associations such as the one chaired by Ailen Acevedo keep alive the defense of iure sanguinis as an inalienable right to identity. A.U.D.I.M.’s official registration in Rome grants it the necessary legitimacy to act as the “legal arm” of the descendants at the epicenter of political decision-making in Italy.