Citizenship referendum reaches 500,000 signatures - Magi

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - The referendum on a citizenship reform promoted by a number of different organizations including progressive party Più Europa has reached the required 500,000 signatures, the party's leader Riccardo Magi told ANSA on Tuesday.
    The referendum vies to halve from 10 to five the number of years of continual legal residence required for foreign citizens to obtain Italian citizenship.
    The change would "restore legislation in place before 1992 and would align us to what is established in several other EU countries", Magi said.
    The 500,000 signatures needed to be collected by the end of September to request the referendum on citizenship reform.
    The referendum was launched by lawmaker Magi to change current Italian citizenship legislation, which dates back to 1992, to cut down from 10 to five years the period of residence necessary to apply to become an Italian citizen, provided the applicant fulfils a number of criteria.
    Magi said Tuesday that the Constitutional Court will decide on whether to approve the referendum in February and "then we expect a vote in the spring". (ANSA).