Question – I am Ethiopian and I have been regularly living and working in Italy for ten years. I was issued indefinite leave to remain six years ago. I live with the mother of my daughter, they are Italian. Can I apply to naturalisation?
Answer – Cohabitation does not allow naturalisation. Factual cohabitation is not juridically recognised. We live in a catholic country, where formal marriage is particularly protected, the recent debate about cohabitation and about an eventual law decree clearly shows this fact.
The fact that this man is the father of an Italian child does not allow – according to law – to naturalisation. Therefore this citizen will be able to apply to Italian naturalisation only after ten years of regular residence. A recent TAR sentence issued in Piemonte underlines that foreigners need to have been regularly living in Italy for ten years before applying to citizenship and more over they need to have been issued stable residence for ten years.