A group of Lithuanian conservative Members of Parliament has proposed to expand grounds for taking away Lithuanian citizenship from dual citizens who express support for “aggressor states” or “pose a threat to national security”.
Two years ago, Lithuania passed a law that permits the revocation of citizenship for their special merits, if they pose a threat to the country’s security or support countries that pose a threat to Lithuania or other EU states or their allies, or Schengen.News reports.
New Proposal Considered the Right Step
The new proposal would extend to all dual citizens, regardless of how they acquired their Lithuanian passport.
The Bill Has Been Proposed by MPS Agnė Bilotaitė, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Dalia Asanavičiūtė, Arvydas Anušauskas, and Žygimantas Pavilionis, Members of the Homeland Union (TS-LKD).
Following the new proposal, these persons will be prohibited from acquiring, restoring, holding, or regaining citizenship in this Baltic country. Those who already hold it could have it revoked.
We see cases where Russian citizens, active supporters of the regime, and their descendants have obtained Lithuanian citizenship on various grounds. This allows them to circumvent sanctions and various restrictions on Russian citizens.
She said that they are not seeking Lithuanian citizenship out of patriotism or connection to their roots, but instead to evade sanctions. She expressed her hopes that extending these criteria is the right step, emphasising that it would put all dual citizens on an equal footing in terms of accountability.
Asanavičiūtė stressed that this would apply only to those who obtain more than one citizenship.
Under the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which Lithuania has signed, we can’t strip someone of their only citizenship.
In 2023, the parliament applied new changes to the Law on Citizenship, in order to permit the revocation of citizenship granted by exception, if the persons pose a threat to Lithuania’s security interests or publicly support a state that poses a threat to Lithuania’s security, EU countries, or their allies.
Lithuania Extends Sanctions on Russia & Belarus
Last month, the Parliament of Lithuania extended the restrictions imposed on Russian and Belarusian nationals for another year.
Following the new decision, nationals of Russia who travelled to Russia or Belarus more than once in every three months would be stripped of the right to stay legally in Lithuania.
However, authorities in Lithuania confirmed that the measure does not apply to Belarusian citizens.
During the final vote, restrictions were approved for Russians but not for Belarusian nationals.