Multiple citizenship: why now and to whom? The associate of the president explains

It is interesting that almost at the same time, the head of state signed a decree on the territories historically inhabited by Ukrainians within the boundaries of the modern Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation. He immediately caused hysteria among Russian propagandists and officials, who unexpectedly discovered that the game with "primitive territories" can be played together.

"For" multiple citizenship is the fact that it exists in more than a hundred countries of the world, including very civilized ones; "against" - the lack of understanding of the procedures by which this mechanism will work during the war. And Article 4 of the Constitution directly says: there is a single citizenship in Ukraine. However, lawyers interpret the term "unified citizenship" in different ways, and the Constitutional Court, to which the corresponding submission is directed, has not yet commented on this matter.

The head of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary cooperation, "servant of the people" Oleksandr Merezhko, believes that if Ukraine confidently took the course for membership in the European Union, it should get used to the rules of the game there. And secondary citizenship is specific to EU countries. In a conversation with Glavkom, Merezhko tells what problems the presidential draft law should solve, why it will not work to divide citizens by the method of obtaining a passport, and how to treat forced owners of Russian "Ausweiss" ( identity cards issued by the occupiers ) in the occupied territories.

"We are facing a very difficult demographic crisis"

Let's figure it out right away: who exactly does Ukraine want to replenish the ranks of its citizens ?

If we go to Europe, then multiple citizenship is very common there, because it is convenient. And in Europe, a citizen is not only a citizen of his country, but also of the European Union. Here, the main obstacle to perception is the Soviet mentality, because in the past the presence of citizenship of another country was perceived as treason to the Motherland. We need to get rid of this Sovietism psychologically.

For example, in the United States, policy towards a specific foreign country is very often formed under the influence of the local diaspora. For example, in the Irish diaspora there are many Americans of more than one generation, but they still feel Irish. And the policy of the USA regarding Ireland is connected with the opinion of the diaspora. If our diaspora, having both American and Ukrainian citizenship , will influence US foreign policy in a way that is useful for us, then this is also important.

 

In the past, having the citizenship of another country was perceived as treason to the Motherland. We must get rid of this Sovietism

 

But there is a delicate moment. The President calls on Ukrainian citizens to return home from abroad in a difficult time for the country, and with this project he actually gives them a signal - you can take the citizenship of other states, the Motherland will still not forget you.

There is a psychological side here: we should not put a person in front of such a rigid "either-or" alternative, because one cannot act only with negative incentives. On the contrary, it is necessary to create additional opportunities so that when the life situation changes, a person who has worked abroad for 10-20 years will want to return at some point. I completely agree with the president - everything must be done to bring people back. But you must also have a "plan B": if a person does not want or cannot do it right now, then let him have the opportunity to do it in some time. Although, of course, it is necessary to fight for the return of the majority of people as soon as possible, so that they rebuild the economy.

In principle, yes. In our country, multiple citizenship is not prohibited, it is simply not recognized... This draft law does not change anything fundamentally, rather, it is about a simplified procedure for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship for people from a certain category of countries. Basically, these are EU states, the United States and even some Latin American countries.

By what parameters is this list determined?

There are mainly EU countries, which is logical, because we will be a member of the EU and these countries are our closest allies. By the way, there is a discussion now that Israel should also be included in this list. That is, it is primarily about democratic developed countries.

"There is no need to make any changes to the Constitution"

Why did this draft law surface just now? Four years ago, even before the war, the president already registered a similar initiative, which was never submitted to the Council. Why is everything suddenly moving now? Only because we are going to the EU and something needs to be done with millions of our immigrants?

It seems to me that this issue has become more acute now due to the fact that about 8 million people have left. Each law solves some social problem, and now this problem is demographic, so it is logical to try to solve it in advance.

Do you seriously think that this law alone will encourage people to come back?

Of course, it should be more than one law. It is simply one of the elements of a complex approach to solving the problem.

 

The Constitution talks about another single citizenship - that is, there can be no citizenship of regions or cities in Ukraine

 

Have you heard a more down-to-earth version of the appearance of this draft law? It will instantly simplify the purchase of Ukrainian land by foreigners, whose sale is currently prohibited.

I haven't heard it, it's a rather unexpected idea. In general, I am not against the purchase of land by foreigners, because I look at other countries that opened the land market. All the same, this restriction will have to be removed when we join the EU. For example, in the Baltic states and Poland, there were initially restrictions on the purchase by foreigners, but when they were removed, there were not particularly many interested parties. On the contrary, foreign investors should be encouraged.

After the appearance of the presidential draft law, a discussion began about the rights and obligations of such people who, in addition to the Ukrainian one, will have one or more citizenships. Should they be allowed to participate in elections, or should they be given social benefits, in which army will they serve? How has Europe, where multiple citizenships are not uncommon, resolved these issues?

The answer is very simple: one must be guided by the Constitution, in particular the principles of equality of all citizens. The law that restricts the rights of a citizen of Ukraine is unconstitutional and violates his fundamental rights. If a person has already become a citizen, that's all - he has full responsibilities and rights.

But the same Constitution, which cannot be changed during martial law, determines that there is a single citizenship in Ukraine.

No changes should be made to the Constitution. The Constitution talks about another single citizenship - that is, there can be no citizenship of regions or cities in Ukraine. This is not about banning multiple citizenships, it is a completely wrong interpretation. Moreover, if we join the EU, where EU citizenship is already provided for, do we need to change the Constitution for this?

 

Ethnic background does not affect a person's worldview and what country he is fighting for

 

It is obvious that before this project, if it is voted, it will be necessary to adopt a number of by-laws in order to settle all the gaps that will arise. For example, will a person who has never been to Ukraine, but has lived all his life somewhere in Argentina, be able to apply for some services of the Ukrainian state or participate in local elections. How will it be in practice?

These are technical issues that are resolved with the help of by-laws. The main thing is that these acts do not violate the Constitution and the law on citizenship. For example, I see nothing wrong with the fact that a citizen of Ukraine living in another country should have the opportunity to vote.

I myself went to our embassy in the States to vote during the Orange Revolution. Technically, there is no problem with this. Social issues are resolved by social legislation, there are international treaties that regulate these issues. Nothing needs to be changed here.

And how exactly is this resolved in the European Union? Let's imagine that a person has the citizenship of Sweden, France and Austria - where will he receive his pension? Depending on where you live, where did you work more? Or in several countries at once?

It is possible to receive a pension in two places if a person worked in two or even three countries. If a person from Ukraine moved to Germany, worked there, then went somewhere else... Why not? Mechanisms have long been worked out, and these issues have always been resolved.

"Russian Ukrainians will still remember that they are Ukrainians"

Citizens of the aggressor country cannot apply for dual Ukrainian citizenship. But almost simultaneously with this draft law, Volodymyr Zelenskyi issued a decree on the territories of the Russian Federation historically inhabited by Ukrainians, which are oppressed by the Kremlin regime. According to this logic, we should also give these people somehow simplified citizenship, if they consider themselves Ukrainians and a part of our state. And at the same time, we cannot do this, since they are Russian citizens.

Such things should be the exception. Imagine: a citizen of Russia came to fight for Ukraine and wants to become a citizen of our state. We have to grant him Ukrainian citizenship in a simplified manner, but on condition that he gets rid of his Russian citizenship. At the same time, Russia will do everything to prevent him from doing so. She will call him to her territory, of course, with what consequences. Therefore, it is necessary to create a separate procedure for such Russians so that they can renounce their Russian citizenship on the territory of Ukraine. And I would add a similar procedure for the citizens of the accomplice of aggression - Belarus.

And what about people who live in the conditional Kursk region, do not want or cannot leave there, but consider themselves Ukrainians? The president is going to protect them, but they don't even have a Ukrainian passport.

Well, we will solve this issue after the victory. It can really happen because millions of ethnic Ukrainians live in Russia. But among them there are such as, for example, Valentina Matvienko ( head of the Council of Federations of the Russian Federation ), who seems to be of Ukrainian origin, but at the same time is a war criminal. Or Dmytro Kozak ( Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation ) is also from Ukraine. But these people became Russian imperialists, that is, the ethnic background does not affect a person's worldview and what country he is fighting for.

There are the same Ukrainians who previously worked in the north of Russia and received Russian citizenship there in a simplified manner. I remember that in the first years of Ukraine's independence, it was difficult to obtain its citizenship, while Russia gave its own without any bureaucratic problems. And if these people now have a question as to how to get rid of it, then it is necessary to help and provide them with such an opportunity.

 

Medvedchuk was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, but how will we now bring him to justice for treason?

 

What about our compatriots in the occupied territories who are forced to get Russian passports, because without them they simply cannot receive basic services? They already, in fact, have dual citizenship.

Here the question is not so much about obtaining citizenship as about deprivation. Formally, for the fact that a person received the passport of the aggressor state , he can be deprived of Ukrainian citizenship.

By the way, this is a dubious practice from the point of view of human rights, as the Soviet Union did with dissidents. It is necessary to understand that those people who keep Ukrainian citizenship, not even in the form of a piece of paper, but in their heads, and dream of the return of Crimea to the bosom of Ukraine, live in conditions of terror. We do not forget that Russia is a totalitarian repressive state and in order to survive there, sometimes people are forced to take Russian passports. But it is a crime on the part of the one who forces people to such passporting, and people can be victims. I can't throw a stone at them.

In a democratic society, this should not happen, because it resembles a scoop. But it is necessary to make an adjustment for the war, when the situation is somewhat different. Perhaps in some limited situations, depriving citizenship makes sense, but I think it should be done carefully. Well, Medvedchuk was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, but if we catch him now, how will we bring him to treason? Even in wartime, the rule of law must be respected as much as possible, although this is not always possible.

Zelenskyi's decree on Ukrainians in Russia is this kind of trolling by Kremlin officials who constantly dream about "historical lands", or is it some kind of provision for the future? What are the real consequences of this document?

From a legal point of view, this decree is important in that it serves as a reminder that Russia is violating international law. We are talking about a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice regarding the violation of the rights of Ukrainians in the occupied territories: the decree reinforces our international legal position. Russia is carrying out genocide not only in the occupied territories and not only against Ukraine. This genocide takes the form of destroying the identity of Ukrainians, their culture, and depriving them of the opportunity to learn the Ukrainian language in Russia itself. This should be reminded in this way as well. But you and I will witness when in some time (I think not very far) Putin will be gone and serious changes will begin in Russia. Then the Russian Ukrainians will remember that they are Ukrainians, they always supported us, but remained silent because they could not do anything. And they will try to get Ukrainian citizenship. All this is yet to come.

Pavlo Vuets