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Duma imposes ban on granting citizenship to deported foreign nationals

Russia’s State Duma adopted in the third, final reading several amendments to the law on citizenship expanding the reasons why applications for it can be rejected

Photo ITAR-TASS/Александра Мудрац

Photo ITAR-TASS/Александра Мудрац

MOSCOW, October 26 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s State Duma on Friday adopted in the third, final reading several amendments to the law on citizenship expanding the reasons why applications for it can be rejected.

In particular, the amendments establish a ban on granting Russian citizenship to persons who in the past were expelled or deported from Russia under international acts on readmission, or who have been declared undesirable persons.

The deputy chairman of the State Duma’s constitutional legislation committee, Rizvan Kurbanov, has said the amendments will reduce the influx of undesirable migrants.

“Under the current legislation those expelled from Russia have no right to apply for Russian citizenship for five years. However, some of those deported or readmitted on the basis of international treaties have a chance to go to other countries and apply for Russian citizenship at the consular offices in their countries,” he said. The just-introduced amendments have plugged this loophole.

According to Federal Migration Service Statistics about 800 people have been readmitted under the basis of international treaties and some 2,000 others deported over the past year. In 2011-2012 about 100,000 foreign nationals have been grated Russian citizenship after applying for it outside Russia.

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