Isamaa, the Estonian opposition party, has initiated a bill to introduce more stringent rules for foreign nationals with criminal records wanting to obtain Estonian citizenship.
The chairman of the Isamaa faction, Helir-Valdor Seeder, plans to present a draft law that will exclude people who have repeatedly been convicted for similar crimes from the right to obtain Estonian citizenship, Schengen.News reports.
Isammaa Called on Riigikogu to Vote on the Bill
During a recent plenary session of Riigikogu, or the Estonian parliament, the Chairman of Isamma made these remarks and noted that the law has to be changed.
The Citizenship Act allows the government to grant citizenship in exceptional circumstances to persons who have a criminal record of intentional crimes and whose punishment has expired. All the circumstances of the crime and the identity of the offender are taken into account.
Several Countries Are Banning Foreigners With Criminal Records From Obtaining EU Citizenship
Estonia would not be the first country that wants to ban non-EU citizens with criminal offences from becoming EU citizens.
Denmark has also tightened the rules for those who want to obtain citizenship, with those who have a criminal sentence being impacted. More specifically, in 2021, the Danish government announced that foreigners with criminal sentences would be forever excluded from becoming Danish citizens.
Moreover, the option of revoking citizenship due to crime is also possible, especially in cases of gang-related crimes.
On top of banning foreigners from obtaining citizenship, the Netherlands has also decided to deny residence permits to criminals – a move that was widely welcomed by many, including Minister Marjolein Faber (PVV) of Asylum and Migration.
Prior to the change, people who were sentenced to more than five years in prison for crimes related to drug offences could be denied permanent residency permits.
Source: https://schengen.news/estonia-wants-to-ban-foreigners-with-criminal-records-from-obtaining-citizenship/
