Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation

65 ruling coalition members and MPs from the Union of Greens and Farmers voted for the amendments, eight Harmony Center members voted against and 18 Harmony Center members abstained, reports LETA.

If approved in the third reading, the amendments will come into force on January 1 next year.

The amendments stipulate that nationals residing abroad, citizens of Latvia who were deported or left Latvia as a result of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany occupations, will be able to apply for dual citizenship.

The bill stipulates that Latvian citizenship will be retained for those citizens of Latvia who have received citizenship of another European Union member state, member states of the European Free Trade Association, or NATO. Dual citizenship will also apply to citizens who become citizens in a country with which Latvia has signed an agreement on dual citizenship.

Also, Latvian citizenship will be granted to newborns, regardless of where they are born, if one of their parents is a citizen of Latvia. Non-citizens' children born in Latvia after August 21, 1991 will also be granted Latvian citizenship if they are permanent residents of Latvia and currently have the status of a stateless person or a non-citizen, and if the parents of the child have no objections and confirm that they will help the child learn the Latvian language and respect the state of Latvia.

Latvian citizenship will also be retained for every person who becomes a citizen of another country through marriage or adoption.

Proposals regarding review of the amendments in the third reading will be accepted until September 20.