EU – Baltic States, Law and Regulations, Legislation, Lithuania
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Friday, 29.03.2024, 08:24
Ruling parties suggest Lithuanian passport for emigrants
The Lithuanian passport would provide emigrants with nearly all rights
enjoyed by citizens, except for the right to run for and vote in elections,
however, would still be able to be candidates for municipal councils.
According to the bill registered by MPs Ramunas Karbauskis, Andrius Palionis, Eugenijus Jovaisa, Juozas
Bernatonis and Arunas Gumuliauskas, holders of such passports would enjoy
facilitated procedures for restoring or acquiring the Lithuanian citizenship,
as well as regain the citizenship.
Furthermore, holders of the passports would be able to arrive and reside
and work in Lithuania, as well as have access to education, studies and
research privileges.
The bill suggests the Lithuanian passport would be available to all persons
of Lithuanian origin, i.e., persons whose parents or grandparents or one of the
parents or grandparents are Lithuanian and who considers themselves to be
Lithuanian.
According to the bill, Lithuanian passports would also be available to
Lithuanians who acquired the Lithuanian citizenship after the country regained
independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, as well as their spouses, children
and grandchildren.
Potential applicants for the passports would be children and grandchildren
of persons who had the Lithuanian citizenship before the Soviet Union occupied
Lithuania on June 15 of 1940.
The MPs behind the bill say that the institute of Lithuanian passport could
be one of the instruments to curb emigration and encourage emigrants to return
to Lithuania.
"The passport of Lithuanians is like a one-stop principle – persons of
Lithuanian origin would no longer need to make repeated applications and prove
his status whenever he wanted to live in Lithuania, study in Lithuania, regain
his citizenship, etc. The document would work in Lithuania as an identity
document, as well as a travel document in foreign countries in certain cases,"
they said.
If approved, the Law on Passport of Lithuanians would take effect in 2018.
Lithuania's parliament has lately been discussing the possibility to
considerably expand the circle of individuals eligible for dual citizenship of
Lithuania and another country. After discussions, the parliament has turned to
the Constitutional Court for an explanation whether dual citizenship can be
allowed for Lithuanian citizens who emigrated to countries of the European
Union (EU) and NATO after the country regained independence in 1990.
The Constitutional Court has concluded that dual citizenship is only
possible in exceptional cases, and any changes to the scheme would require
amending the Constitution – a move that can only be made by way of referendum.