Over the last five years, Verona has seen a 300% rise in new citizenship oaths, from 679 in 2019 to 2,070 in 2023, with additional growth expected this year (with 1,204 new citizens in the first six months of 2024). Several municipal council members have sped up the process by conducting more than 20 oath ceremonies per week.
They are Veronica Atitsogbe, Vice President of the Verona City Council, alongside councilors Jessica Veronica Cugini, Giacomo Piva, and Pietro Giovanni Trincanato. Their involvement, in collaboration with the Citizens Services Directorate led by Director Paola Zanchetta, has significantly accelerated the applications.
Verona’s commitment to integration was recently recognized at the parliamentary level, with Councilor Atitsogbe asked to present Verona’s approach as a model for other Italian cities. The “Verona model” seeks to establish a norm for recognizing the universal right to Italian citizenship.
“After a lengthy process to acquire citizenship, which involves stringent requirements, a positive outcome results in the prefecture notifying the applicant of the decree granting Italian citizenship,” says Vice President Atitsogbe. “At this crucial stage, new citizens come to the municipality for their oath. After a long path, the processing of applications has substantially accelerated. Though our efforts are limited to the municipality, they have major political implications for finally reforming citizenship rights.”
Photo credits Arena di Verona: Associazione Nazionale Alpini
