Photo credit: mordovmedia.ru
In the first four months of 2020, the number of people who received Russian citizenship exceeded 250,000 people, RIA Novosti reports. The Interior Ministry explained that this figure is two and a half times higher than last year's figures for the same period. From January to April in 2019, almost 86 thousand people received a Russian passport.
At the end of April, a law simplifying the acquisition of Russian citizenship was approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Previously, foreigners, when applying for citizenship of the Russian Federation, had to confirm that they had requested a waiver of their former citizenship. The new law excludes this requirement.
According to the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, the importance of the document cannot be overestimated. The politician emphasized that the bill primarily concerns compatriots abroad.
In addition, the document cancels the requirement of residence of the applicant for citizenship in Russian territory for three years. Another change concerns the need for a legitimate source of livelihood for stateless adults if they had USSR citizenship, lived or live in the countries included in it, without obtaining citizenship there. These requirements are also excluded for foreigners married to citizens of the Russian Federation on condition of living in Russia and having common children, as well as for those foreigners with at least one of the parents being a citizen of the Russian Federation living in Russia.
The law will enter into force 90 days after its official publication.
Russkiy Mir
