The Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill on multiple citizenship in the first reading, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
“The Rada supported as a basis the law No. 11469 on the introduction of multiple citizenship in Ukraine,” Zheleznyak wrote in Telegram.
According to him, the bill was supported by 247 MPs at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday.
The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, De-occupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations recommends that the Verkhovna Rada adopt in the first reading the presidential draft law on multiple citizenship (No. 11469).
According to the press service of the Verkhovna Rada’s apparatus, this decision was made at a meeting of the committee on Tuesday.
As previously reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted draft law No. 11469 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Ensuring the Exercise of the Right to Acquire and Retain Ukrainian Citizenship” to the Verkhovna Rada.
According to the explanatory note to the draft law, the goals and objectives of the draft law are to update the legal regulation of Ukrainian citizenship, taking into account the need to ensure national security and national interests of Ukraine.
The draft law also simplifies the procedure for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship and improves the regulation of the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons who, in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of Ukraine, are performing/have performed military service under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard of Ukraine or are one of the spouses of such a person or a child of such a person.
It is noted that the adoption of this draft law will expand the opportunities for certain categories of foreigners and stateless persons to acquire Ukrainian citizenship. At the same time, multiple citizenship will not be introduced for people with Russian citizenship or citizens of states that do not recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.