ROME - Italian registry offices have recorded the disintegration of thousands of families over the last month, particularly in Southern cities. The sudden rise in the family separations, through divorce and changes of residence, has raised suspicion among mayors across Italy who do not view the situation as coincidental.

In fact, this corresponds to the approval and publication of citizens’ income in the Official Journal on Jan. 17 and Jan. 28. Increases in changes of residence and changes in family status have been being reported by registry offices to municipal offices since November, but in January, and even more recently in the weeks of February, they are becoming resounding.

Changes of residence have doubled in Palermo and Crotone, and have risen between by 20 per cent in Bari and by 30 per cent in Naples. In Milazzo, a town in Messina with only 30,000 inhabitants, 10 changes of residence in three days led the mayor to issue an urgent appeal to the registry office to verify the requests by crossing-checking the data.

In the first week of February in Palermo, 219 citizens requested a change of residence. Moreover, during the first days of February in Naples, a family separated every two days.

Applications to obtain citizens’ income can begin being sent on March 6, and a maximum of 780 euros can be requested by a single unemployed person who pays rent and thus makes up a family unit by themselves.

Municipalities are therefore checking whether an attempt is being made to increase the number of "single" family members, in order to increase the chances of receiving monetary benefits.