Deputes Natalia Poklonskaya and Konstantin Zatulin submitted for approval to the State Duma a draft law simplifying a procedure of obtaining the Russian citizenship significantly, as per RIA Novosti.
After studying the draft about acquiring Russian citizenship based on a new principle “under the law of the soil”, the relevant committee of the State Duma has issued a positive decision.
The State Duma deputy Ruslan Balbek has commented that a new principle will enable to have a simplified procedure of getting Russian passport not only on the principle of the blood kinship but based on the so-called principle of the “birthright”. In case the draft law has final approval, all people born at the territory of the Russian Federation will become its citizens.
Balbek also stated that the main criterion is knowledge of the Russian language and culture. The citizens of the former Soviet Union having relatives in Russia can also count on the simplified procedure.
Acquiring citizenship based on birthright is exercised in the US and in the majority of Latin America countries. People born at the territory of the country automatically become citizens of that country of birth despite their nationality or other factors.
Russkiy Mir
