Following a thorough preliminary expert analysis, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) calls to substantially amend the Draft Laws on multiple citizenship, recently tabled at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
On December 2, the President of Ukraine submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine a package
of 5 Draft Laws “aimed at countering threats to national security in the field of citizenship”. These Draft Laws suggest amending
the Law of Ukraine “On citizenship of Ukraine” and 58 other laws.
The Ukrainian World Congress consistently advocates for:
- The liberalization of Ukrainian legislation on multiple citizenship based on existing global best practices
- Implementation of efficient security safeguards from the aggressive influence of Russian Federation and other states that pose a threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty and safety
- Equality of citizens before the law to avoid creating two different classes of Ukrainian citizens.
Previously, in 2019, the UWC, in cooperation with expert groups, developed and in October 2019 submitted to the President of Ukraine a proposed Draft Law on citizenship, based on the principles of liberalization and security safeguards.
The legislative initiatives now tabled at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine only partially incorporate UWC earlier proposals. On the one hand, these draft bills propose liberalizing the norms of the Ukrainian law on citizenship to some extent. On the other hand, these draft legislative initiatives do not include a number of important diaspora proposals regarding the efficient security safeguards. The latter is no less important for UWC, especially amid ongoing Russian hybrid aggression against Ukraine.
The provisions of the Draft Laws now tabled at the Ukrainian Parliament also create inequality of citizens’ rights depending on the presence or absence of foreign citizenship. Specifically, Draft Laws suggest implementing an even wider range of unjustified restrictions for citizens of Ukraine who possess or have acquired foreign citizenship. This prevents millions of Ukrainian citizens with passports of Western countries, Western knowledge and experience, from additional opportunities to actively participate in the development of Ukraine and in its further Euro-Atlantic integration.
The Ukrainian World Congress urges the President of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to substantively amend the Draft Laws that were submitted to the parliament. The UWC, together with representatives of the civil society, academic and expert communities, stands ready to contribute to this constructive collaboration at all levels.
