Draft dodging ancestor?

[dannyjosa]

Hello

I was advised b the Consulate that they need to check the law to see if I am eligible for citizenship because my qualifying link with Italy was a draft-dodger! His military record says "dichiarato renitente"...

Has anyone ever experienced this, what is the likelihood of failing to get my claim recognised because my ancestor did this? In theory, they could criminalise or strip the citizenship of someone that did this....Has anyone ever experienced this?

My ancestor was a religious man, a missionary. So, perhaps they can see why he might not have wanted to serve the military...

Thanks!

Danny

[arturo.c]

The fact that your ancestor had not answered the call to arms from the government could be linked to many factors.

Missionaries who served abroad were exempted from the draft, provided that the authorities were duly notified of their situation.

However, the fact that your ancestor was classified as "renitente" from the military authorities should have no bearing on his citizenship, unless he served in the armed forces of another nation. That would have disqualified him and all his descendants.

[dannyjosa]

Thanks! Hopefully no problem! He was a Vatican family and served as a protestant missionary, which has partly encouraged the Vatican to refuse to give me his baptism record..Ill keep researching.Thanks

[mler]

Was your ancestor the one who came from Italy? Did he naturalize?

I ask because my husband was informed by the consulate that he was classified as a draft dodger. He informed them that he was a naturalized American citizen (providing proof of course) and they removed that classification.

Italy would have no way of knowing if a person was no longer a citizen and, thus, no longer required to serve in the Italian military.

[dannyjosa]

My ancestor was classified as a draft dodger in 1872, he was a missionary abroad and didn't naturalise before 1916