From a theater stage in Bologna on Nov. 9, Nadeesha Uyangoda addressed a crowd of a few hundred people who wanted to learn more about the debate on citizenship law reform currently dominating Italian news. “Ethnic minorities in Italy are often used as instruments of political propaganda, both by the right wing, to encourage white nationalism, and the left wing, just to accuse the opposition,” she said. “Our request is to legally acknowledge our existence.”

This past October, the Italian Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee brought back to the table the discussion about a reform of the citizenship law currently in force, which dates back to 1992 and mainly awards Italian citizenship through blood ties. The so-called jus culturae (Latin for “cultural right”) would offer a third alternative to the more common jus soli and jus sanguinis, which recognize birthright citizenship and citizenship by bloodlines, respectively.