The politically fraught debate in Italy over whether to accelerate citizenship for children of immigrants took on last-ditch urgency Thursday as politicians joined a symbolic hunger strike launched by teachers demanding equal rights for their students. The petition denounces the "paradox of having to educate students in citizenship and constitution ... knowing full well that many will never have either citizenship or the right to vote." Currently, foreigners born in Italy can seek citizenship only when they turn 18 and if they have lived in the country since birth. Foreign children not born in Italy could also apply, as long as they have completed five years of schooling before becoming adults. Many children born to asylum-seekers in Italy end up effectively stateless if their parents' home countries can't or won't provide them with documentation.

Source: ABC News October 05, 2017 09:35 UTC