[2013 EOYT] Italy

[Kunming Tiger]

Which just goes to show the idiocy of treating birthplace as the best proof of nationality (not saying you're doing that).

There is an intricable link between birthplace and nationality, most people are citizens of the countries they were born in , they acquire citizenship as a matter of birthright as long as one of their parents was a citizen of that country. In the vast majority of cases your birthplace dictates your nationality eg Most people born in the United States are Americans or most Americans were born the the United States.. Nationality acquired by birthright or birthplace cannot be revoked it is an inalienable RIGHT. In some countries a person born in a country but of parents not citizens of that country may acquire citizenship of that country subject to living in that country for a minumun period of time.

In short for most people birthplace is the most critical factor in determing their nationalityand a valid birth certificate to that end the best proof of nationality . If you can't prove that you were born in a place how could you prove your claim to citizenship?

If this person was born in Italy and had an Italian mother then it should stand to reason that he has a claim to Italian citizenship. If so and he applied and was accepted then become a citizen and gets to represent his country of birth. It's cut and dried really.