Members of the Czech Parliament will soon decide that Russian passport holders will have to give up their citizenship if they want to become Czech citizens, with the proposal being open for vote starting on Friday, November 29.
The proposal could be postponed for voting until December 3; however, it is expected to receive support from the deputies, as the number of Russians with Czech citizenship is on the rise, Schengen.News reports.
Data from Statista reveals that the number of Russian citizens living in Czechia by 2023 was around 35,400, which is approximately the same number of Russians living in Austria.
One-Quarter of Foreigners Who Were Granted Czech Citizenship Are Russians
According to statistics from the Czech Interior Ministry, one-quarter of foreigners who obtained Czech citizenship were Russians, with an increasing number of Russians seeking to obtain Czech passports.
In 2019, Czech authorities approved 574 citizenship applications, while in 2022, this number has doubled.
If the proposal is supported and voted by the majority of Czech deputies, the ban on dual citizenship would only apply to future cases.
Tighter Citizenship Rules for Russian Nationals? Some Czech MEPs Might Not Agree
STAN members, who have pushed for this proposal, have raised concerns about national security if Russian nationals continue obtaining Czech citizenship under the current laws.
In addition, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Jan Bartošek (KDU-ČSL), pointed out that once a Russian acquires Czech citizenship, it cannot be taken away against his will.
However, not all deputies are fond of this proposal. MP Jiří Mašek (ANO) was confused about the relationship granting Czech citizenship to Russians and the threats to national security.
On the other hand, MP Olga Richterova argued that some Russians should still be allowed to keep their citizenship, for example, men of a certain age who have not performed military service.
According to her opinion, a Russian who tries to lose his Russian citizenship but the regime does not allow him to do so could still receive Czech documents.
Source: https://schengen.news/czech-mps-soon-to-vote-on-banning-dual-citizenship-for-russian-nationals/
