EU state could force Russians to choose citizenship

People wishing to become Czech citizens may be forced to give up their Russian passports

The Czech Republic could soon oblige Russians to give up their passports in order to acquire citizenship of the EU country, daily newspaper Blesk reported on Thursday.

The amendment to the country’s citizenship law is being pushed by the Mayors and Independents (STAN) party. MP Martin Exner reportedly said the condition of single citizenship would apply to all Russian nationals, with the exception of asylum seekers and some other special cases.

The amendment could also include new rules concerning the further extension of temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine.

“We cannot allow that at a time when Russia is taking hostile actions not only against Ukraine, but also against us and other EU countries, its citizens can acquire Czech citizenship, and thus all the rights related to it,” Exner was quoted as saying.

Similarly, Minister of the Interior Vit Rakusan said: “The security situation requires us to respond to the increased number of requests from Russian citizens for our citizenship.”

Statistics by the Interior Ministry reportedly showed that around 5,000 foreigners are granted Czech citizenship every year, most of whom are Ukrainians, Slovaks and Russians. The Ukraine conflict has led to a significant rise in the number of foreigners residing in the EU country.

Foreigners are eligible to file for citizenship after residing in the country for a minimum of ten years and must pass a Czech language test in order to obtain it. Meanwhile, Czech nationals themselves are allowed to obtain dual and multiple citizenships, in line with EU regulations.

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In 2023, more than 1,000 Russians obtained Czech passports, which was a 50% increase on the previous year, the report said. Around 40,000 Russians with temporary or permanent residence permits are currently living in the country.

“The question is about the loyalty of these people to our state,” Exner said, adding: “It cannot be ruled out that at least a certain part of them considers the Czech Republic an enemy state and can be used by Russia in the future for at least various forms of political pressure.”

Russian citizens will have to choose whether they want to belong to the Czech Republic or Russia, the MP concluded.

The Czech Republic, a NATO member, has been among the most vocal critics of Russia within the EU amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Aside from upholding all of the EU’s sanctions, sending military aid to Kiev, and limiting trade with Moscow, Prague has also completely ceased issuing visas and has tightened visa rules for Russian diplomats.