This paper concerns the issue of citizenship recognition for young students with a migrant background in Italy, a matter that represents a “major educational problem” (Agostinetto, 2022). This contribution draws on the theoretical framework of Social Justice Education (hereinafter: SJE), which aims to develop critical awareness in order to foster reflection on power dynamics, systemic inequalities and processes of exclusion in educational contexts. From this perspective, education represents both a tool for emancipation and a powerful mechanism for reproducing inequalities (Freire, 1970; bell hooks, 2009; McLaren, 2015; Giroux, 2020). This study, therefore, is based on a critical perspective to interculturalism aimed at developing a theoretical positionality that considers power relations and a series of privileges that influence the ''relationship between autochthones and allochthones'' (Burgio, 2022). Students with a migrant background are often required to justify their presence, even if they were born and/or raised in the destination country of their families' migration journey (Akkari and Radhoune, 2022; Hakuzwimana, 2024). Current legislation on Italian citizenship, governed by Law No. 91 of February 5, 1992, emphasizes the exclusive legal principle of ius sanguinis. Citizenship is therefore obtained by right of blood if at least one parent is Italian, regardless of place of birth. Citizenship status is also acquired through descent (iure sanguinis), with a limit of two generations. An idea of citizenship linked purely to biological criteria is a harmful and anachronistic ideological choice (Agostinetto, 2022) and a ‘‘reform is needed for a post-colonial turning point’’ (Nanni and Fucecchi, 2024). Those who do not hold Italian citizenship may apply for it under several different circumstances: by naturalization, by birth on Italian territory (upon reaching the age of majority), for special merits and through marriage to a person with Italian citizenship. It is not necessary to dwell on these specificities in depth here, as the unequal and asymmetrical relationship between the native population and communities with a migrant background is already clear (Fiorucci, 2020). This paper raises a clear pedagogical question: is it possible to educate people on citizenship without recognizing citizenship itself? The question arises from a pedagogical paradox fuelled by a clear discrepancy between educational discourse and legal reality. Institutions educate people in democratic values, but at the same time, exclude diasporic communities from the full exercise of constitutional freedoms and rights. Current legislation is considered anachronistic in that it does not represent “a pluralistic society differentiated by cultures, ethnicities, languages and religions” (Nanni and Fucecchi, 2024). The privileged space for intercultural dialogue is the school, but “alone it is not enough” (Fiorucci, 2020). Furthermore, intercultural dialogue requires basic conditions that do not fully exist in our country today (Fiorucci, 2020). Intercultural pedagogy – as intentional educational action in the face of multicultural dynamics (Akkari and Radhouane, 2022; Agostinetto, 2022) – must avoid the risk of falling into rhetoric by recognizing its inherently political nature (Tarozzi, 2015; Fiorucci, 2020; Agostinetto, 2022). Interculturalism is an essentially political task, and the action that stems from it should be aimed at revealing the processes of “subordinate integration” that “undermine the very notion of dialogue” (Fiorucci, 2020). The vast heterogeneity of migratory experiences leads me to avoid potentially approximate categorizations through the use of terms such as “second generations” or “new Italians”. For conceptual simplicity – and to clarify the basic positioning – the term “Italians without citizenship” will be employed. The latter, who represent 914,000 pupils without Italian citizenship (MIM, 2024), grow up with the idea that their identity is not legitimate, an aspect that has been little explored and which constitutes a rather significant symbolic damage (Hakuzwimana, 2024).

In order to identify the key aspects of the issue under investigation and analyze it in depth, a focus group (n=9) was organised with the participation of young people from migrant backgrounds. The group included not only young people without Italian citizenship and international students, but also people born in Italy who were only able to apply for citizenship after reaching the age of majority. Based on data relating to young people with a migrant background without citizenship attending Italian schools (MIM, 2024) and the rejection of the 5th referendum questionnaire of 8-9 June 2025 to simplify the requirements required to apply for citizenship, four sets of questions were proposed to guide this exercise in ethno-educational reflection: 1. Educational experiences related to the aforementioned pedagogical paradox; 2. How this status affects identity-building processes and the sense of belonging; 3. Practical and emotional repercussions; 4. Future prospects from a transformative perspective. This research line is part of a broader doctoral study focusing on a qualitative interpretive research on schooling and integration experiences of young people with a migrant background in Veneto, Italy. The topic addressed in this paper is also emerging in the semi-structured interviews currently being conducted (n=40), which focus not only on the issue of citizenship but also on other themes arising from the doctoral research mentioned above.

The results emerging from the focus group can be traced back to several recurring themes, such as: - The presence of an invisible hierarchical structure composed of a dominant group and subordinate migrant communities; - An unstable ‘relationship’ with Italy, which on the one hand promotes active citizenship but on the other excludes the most marginalized groups; - A sense of exclusion (both material and emotional), frustration, disillusionment and stigmatization; - Proposals for change through the transition from “concession to right” to citizenship; - Language used towards young people with a migrant background. The implications that arise are multidisciplinary and intersect with each other. From a pedagogical point of view, it is useful to promote educational practices of cultural recognition and enhancement in order to spread educational spaces of counter-narrative. Training in intercultural education and critical pedagogy for teachers and educators is also considered necessary. Educational action requires the adoption of a critical view of the surrounding reality, since “teaching is not transferring knowledge, but creating the possibilities to produce and construct it” (Freire, 1996). Greater awareness of the dynamics affecting groups with a migrant background can lead us to promote and/or implement approaches geared towards social justice. Examples include SJE and the concept of intersectionality in combating racism and discrimination (Akkari and Radhouane, 2022). Lastly, it is key to rethink school curricula (Fiorucci, 2020) and certain subjects (like civic education) to highlight systemic contradictions, such as the lack of recognition of citizenship.

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