EU state contemplates prohibiting Russian passport holders from citizenship
Date
12/21/2024 2:09:30 AM
(MENAFN) The Czech parliament has passed a law that mandates Russian nationals to renounce their citizenship before applying for Czech nationality. The vote, which took place on Wednesday, passed with 92 votes in favor, 35 against, and 47 abstentions. The bill will now proceed to the Czech Senate and ultimately to President Petr Pavel, a vocal critic of Moscow, who is expected to sign it into law.
Once enacted, the law will require Russian citizens applying for Czech citizenship to formally renounce their Russian nationality, with exceptions for children and asylum seekers. Applicants must provide official proof of renunciation before their application can be processed.
The bill, introduced in September by Martin Exner, a member of the ruling Mayors and Independents party, will also freeze any pending citizenship applications from Russian nationals indefinitely. The campaign that led to the bill's introduction was fueled by a portrayal of Russians as “Putin’s dolls,” with some criticism of the campaign’s use of a controversial poster showing Russians as Matryoshka dolls, with Russian President Vladimir Putin inside wearing the 'Z' symbol, which has become associated with Russian military actions. Exner later clarified that the poster was directed only at “Russian agents,” not all Russians.
Currently, about 40,000 Russian citizens live in the Czech Republic, and Russian nationals make up a significant portion of the country's citizenship applicants—approximately 25%, up from 20% before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
This bill follows similar anti-Russian measures in the Baltic states, including Latvia, where many Russian speakers have faced deportation for refusing to take or failing mandatory Latvian language tests. The Baltic countries have also restricted visas and residence permits for Russian nationals.
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