Zelensky will submit a bill on multiple citizenship to the Rada: what it can change

President Volodymyr Zelensky will submit a draft law on multiple citizenship to the Verkhovna Rada. This will allow ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants from around the world to obtain Ukrainian citizenship.

At the same time, this does not apply to people from the terrorist Russian Federation. The Ukrainian leader announced such intentions during his video address on January 22 on the occasion of the Day of Unity.

"Today I am introducing a key draft law to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that will allow for comprehensive changes to legislation and the introduction of multiple citizenship," he said.

According to him, the document will allow all ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants from around the world to have Ukrainian citizenship. Of course, except for the citizens of the aggressor country of Russia.

What is known about multiple citizenship?

Multiple or dual citizenship is a citizenship in which a person is permanently recognized as a citizen of two or more countries under the laws of those countries. Currently, according to the Constitution of Ukraine (Article 4), there is only one national citizenship.

At the same time, Ukraine has been discussing the introduction of multiple citizenship, which should become an element of state policy aimed at preserving and developing the global Ukrainian community. This initiative was supported by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who noted that dual passports are becoming a necessity for many Ukrainians, including those who were forced to leave Ukraine because of the war. According to him, this decision will allow millions of our citizens abroad to keep or obtain Ukrainian passports.

"With Ukraine's accession to the European Union, Ukrainian passports will have the same status as those of neighboring European countries," he said.

At the same time, he warned that multiple citizenship should be limited, prohibiting dual citizenship with aggressor states and unfriendly countries.

In 2020, the Verkhovna Rada postponed the discussion of the presidential draft law No. 2590 of December 13, 2019, on citizenship because parliamentary experts concluded that it was impossible to solve this problem only at the legislative level without amending the Constitution.

In December 2021, Zelenskyy submitted a bill on multiple citizenship to parliament. However, to date, there has been no progress on this issue.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, during a press conference on December 19, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine should consider multiple citizenship. He emphasized that not all of the 60 million Ukrainians live in Ukraine today, but they should not be lost.

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