Multiple citizenship: The Parliament passed the draft law in the first reading
17 December 14:38
The Verkhovna Rada has supported the draft law No. 11469 on multiple citizenship as a basis. This was reported by MPs Iryna Gerashchenko and Yaroslav Zheleznyak, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The bill was supported as a basis by 247 MPs.
The second reading should take into account suggestions and comments, including those of the World Congress of Ukrainians.
They also instructed to ask the Constitutional Court for its opinion on the law by a separate vote (150 votes).
What does the draft law provide for?
- The introduction of multiple citizenship and simplification of the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship for citizens of countries from a special list (to be established by law)
- Termination of Ukrainian citizenship for persons who have voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the aggressor state or other countries outside the list
- Simplified process for foreigners who fought for Ukraine.
Iryna Gerashchenko, MP from the European Solidarity party, harshly criticized the document, emphasizing its anti-Ukrainian provisions.
“Dual citizenship grants political rights, including the right to vote, which poses a threat to national security. At the same time, it seems unfair that foreigners will have the right to have two citizenships, while Ukrainian citizens who have acquired the citizenship of another country will lose their Ukrainian citizenship,” the MP said.
She emphasized that “Zelensky’s draft law contains openly anti-Ukrainian norms that allow applicants for Ukrainian citizenship to avoid passing exams in the Ukrainian language, history of Ukraine and the Constitution.”
“This multiplies the number of people who have no idea about Ukraine, but will get the right to vote! There is also a wild provision on the recognition of citizenship online! And it gives the right to take away the citizenship of those convicted of crimes, which strengthens the totalitarian state and creates significant abuses,”
Under current law, Ukraine does not recognize other citizenships of its citizens. In fact, many Ukrainians who are now abroad have already obtained or plan to obtain the citizenship of their host countries in the future.
on January 22, 2024, the President submitted a bill on multiple citizenship to the Verkhovna Rada.
What is multiple citizenship?
Multiple citizenship (multipatriotism) is a citizenship status in which a person is consistently recognized as a citizen of two or more countries under the laws of those countries. It is assumed that states enter into a bilateral agreement with each other in which they mutually recognize the status of a person with two passports, his or her rights and obligations.
In some countries, a distinction is made between a person’s citizenship, which is more related to participation in the domestic political life of the country, and nationality, which refers to the international status of a person. Although multiple citizenship gives certain preferences to its holders, there may be conflicts of law, for example, in the performance of military and other duties under the laws of individual countries.
Multiple citizenship is permitted in most countries, but the rules and conditions may vary considerably. Most European countries recognize multiple citizenship. For example, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom allow citizens to hold multiple passports. The exceptions are Austria and Estonia, which have strict restrictions, although there are exceptions in certain circumstances.
America also generally supports dual citizenship. The United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina allow multiple citizenships without significant restrictions.
