On August 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that regulates the right to acquire and retain Ukrainian citizenship. The bill, reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the official website of the parliament, could bring significant changes to Ukraine’s citizenship policy, particularly concerning the authorization of dual citizenship.

The new legislation provides clear guidelines for permitting dual citizenship in certain cases and thoroughly regulates the conditions for acquiring and renewing Ukrainian citizenship for foreigners, including simplified procedures.

The bill specifies the conditions under which Ukrainian citizenship can be acquired through birth, descent, or naturalization. One of the most important innovations is that dual citizenship would be permitted in cases such as:

– A child acquires Ukrainian and another country’s citizenship by birth;

– A child acquires the citizenship of foreign adoptive parents;

– Ukrainian citizens acquire another citizenship through marriage with a foreigner;

– Ukrainian citizens automatically acquire another citizenship without receiving official documentation;

– Foreigners from countries listed in the legislation acquire Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure;

– Ukrainian citizens acquire the citizenship of countries whose citizens can obtain Ukrainian citizenship in a simplified manner.

However, dual citizenship would not be permitted for those holding the citizenship of a country that Ukraine has classified as an aggressor or occupier, or of a country that does not recognize Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. This particularly applies to the citizens of countries that voted against the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014, which defended Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

This bill could represent a significant step in Ukraine’s citizenship policy and may impact the Ukrainian diaspora living abroad, as well as Ukrainian citizens considering dual citizenship. However, the final decision lies with the Verkhovna Rada, which will determine whether the proposal becomes law.

Source: Karpataljalap.net

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