New amendments to the law on Russian citizenship

Migrants from Central Asia may lose their citizenship for discrediting the Russian army.

Photo: Internet

The President of Russia has proposed amendments to the adopted citizenship bill, according to which acquired Russian citizenship may be revoked “if a person engages in actions that pose a threat to the security of the country.”

The amendment provides for the termination of Russian citizenship if a person who has acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation commits the following actions:

· Engaging in activities in a foreign or international non-governmental organization recognized as undesirable;

· Publicly disseminating knowingly false information about the Armed Forces and state authorities of the Russian Federation;

· Public calls for actions aimed at violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation;

· Public actions aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Russian citizenship may also be terminated for public calls for extremism, attempts on the life of a state official, organizing an armed rebellion, robbery, theft, bribery, vandalism, desecration of the state emblem and flag, etc.

The identification of facts of actions that pose a threat to the security of Russia will be handled by the Federal Security Service, according to the document.

Amendments to the citizenship bill have already been submitted to the State Duma and are expected to be adopted soon.

Some independent experts fear that the Russian authorities, by adopting amendments to the citizenship bill, will declare an uncompromising fight against labor migrants from Central Asian countries. Under this pretext, dozens, if not hundreds, may face loss of citizenship, deportation, or imprisonment on various charges, particularly for membership in “banned organizations.”