Ukraine will allow dual citizenship, but not for everyone and not with all countries

Dual citizenship is impossible with Russia, the aggressor country, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry notes. Writes about it "Voice of America".

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Ukraine plans to allow dual citizenship with the countries of the European Union and other friendly states that do not pose a threat to the country. Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said this at a briefing on March 5.

He noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine supports the decision of the NSDC on the possibility of dual or multiple citizenship for Ukrainians. During the online broadcast of the briefing on the Foreign Ministry's Facebook page, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba noted that dual citizenship is impossible with Russia, since this is an aggressor state.

“We plan to allow dual citizenship with the countries of the European Union, with countries of the world that are friendly to us and do not pose any threat to us, and the list of these countries will depend on some criteria. Thus, we will be able to keep this areola of Ukrainians in the world as a whole, and a citizen of Ukraine who has left for permanent residence in, for example, the countries of the European Union, in the future will be able to become a citizen of this country and remain part of the Ukrainian space. , to keep the Ukrainian passport ", - the minister emphasized.

At the same time, Dmitry Kuleba noted the restrictions that should apply to political life.

“Here you have several passports - do you have the right to be a member of parliament, can you be a minister? There will be a different policy here. Restrictions will be set here in order to prevent some kind of abuse. You are well aware of the phenomenon of multiple citizenship of individual deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. We believe that in such a position a person should be a citizen of one country - Ukraine, ”added the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

According to the press service of the President of Ukraine on March 4, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree, which put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of February 26, 2021 "On urgent measures to counter threats to national security in the field of citizenship."

According to this decision of the NSDC, the Cabinet of Ministers, together with the Central Election Commission and the Security Service of Ukraine, must, within two months, conduct an inventory and analyze the legislation of Ukraine on issues related to dual (multiple) citizenship.

Based on the results of such an analysis, the government should submit draft laws for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada within six months.

“In addition, at the legislative level, the procedure for submitting declarations on obtaining foreign citizenship by citizens of Ukraine should be provided. For residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea, this order will be put into effect only after the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, ”the message says.

According to the decision of the NSDC, the government should start an interstate dialogue to conclude bilateral agreements with interested states, except for the aggressor state.

On the subject: Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians received Russian passports in 2020

Dual citizenship and European integration

Political scientist Pyotr Oleshchuk notes that, as a rule, the issue of dual citizenship in Ukrainian society was perceived sharply negatively before.

“For a long time it was believed that this was a threat to Ukraine from Russia, and again Russia would take advantage of it, seize Ukraine through appropriate instruments.

The minister's statement contains the thesis that dual citizenship is impossible in relation to Russia, because it is an aggressor country, ”says Petr Oleshchuk to the correspondent of the Russian service of the Voice of America.

The political scientist believes that the issue of implementing dual citizenship requires a serious revision of the Ukrainian legislative framework.

“The question is not so much to allow any kind of dual citizenship, but to regulate what to do with those cases of dual citizenship that are already being recorded. And what to do with the corresponding desire of Ukrainians to have dual citizenship, ”says Petro Oleshchuk.

The decisive word in this matter, according to him, belongs to the parliament and "the decision may be different."

“Dual citizenship has already become a reality for many Ukrainians and the state must proceed from reality. If we declare European integration, such tendencies will intensify. If Ukraine should sooner or later become a member of the European Union, then the movement of Ukrainians within the EU is inevitable and natural, ”emphasizes Petro Oleshchuk.

Ukraine in global processes

Oleksandr Solontay, an expert on politics and local development, believes that there should be several stages in the implementation of dual citizenship in Ukraine.

“With Canada, the USA, Brazil, Australia, with those countries where Ukraine has no questions, to realize citizenship and see all the pros and cons of this process, and at the second stage - citizenship with the countries of the European Union,” says Oleksandr Solontai to the correspondent of the Russian service "Voice of America".

He notes that today Ukrainians go to other countries where there is a possibility of obtaining a second citizenship and they are forced to renounce Ukrainian - since there is no law on dual citizenship in Ukraine.

“It turns out that the countries of the world that are far from us, on other continents, support Ukraine, vote for it in various organizations and financially help the army and the state, but Ukrainians there cannot remain citizens of their country and these countries,” emphasizes Oleksandr Solontay ...

Dual citizenship, he said, is part of global processes that will only grow.

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You need to be in trend

Aleksey Kurpas, a political scientist and expert at the Fabrika Media Political Consulting Agency, notes that citizens of one country traveling to another country, as a rule, consider the possibility of obtaining local citizenship.

“If there is an opportunity to obtain another citizenship, then Ukrainians are happy to receive it, if for this it is necessary to hand over a Ukrainian passport, then they go for it. Relatively speaking, with a German passport, a Ukrainian feels protected in Germany, and in Poland, and in Ukraine, and in Moldova. And with a Ukrainian passport, he does not feel protected anywhere, ”Oleksiy Kurpas tells a correspondent for the Russian service of the Voice of America.

The political scientist believes that today obtaining or granting citizenship is viewed with completely different motives than decades ago.

“If you look at our youth, they prefer travel, mobile work, being bound to one country - this is not the main thing. We see a completely different trend and a different demand for citizenship. It seems that the best citizenship is what opens up multiple opportunities for moving from country to country, to find work, study, travel, ”emphasizes Aleksey Kurpas.

He also believes that you need to be prepared for the time when Russia ends the occupation of certain territories in the Donbass and Crimea.

“And then her citizenship will become the same as the citizenship of other countries. But only if Russia stops its occupation of Ukrainian territories, ”says Oleksiy Kurpas.

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