Ukrainians in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine are being deported from Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree according to which citizens of Ukraine living in the Russian-occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk who wish to keep their Ukrainian citizenship can only stay there until July 1, 2024.
After that date, they can be deported from those occupied regions.
Russia obviously has a plan to ensure that only Russians will live in the parts of Ukraine that the Russian military have control of.
Some Ukrainian citizens in Russian occupied parts of Ukraine are being physically threatened, while others are threatened with loss of their property, if they don’t become Russian citizens.
Non-Russian citizens, in occupied areas, are not entitled to any benefits and may even face difficulty in buying food etc.
Advice from the Ukraine government is for those Ukrainians affected by this to either accept Russian citizenship, and throw it away after Ukraine recovers those territories, or try to escape into Ukraine held territory.
Unfortunately, accepting Russian citizenship also means that some might be conscripted into the Russian army, to fight against Ukraine.
Russia does not accept Dual Citizenship with Ukraine and Ukrainians who take Russian citizenship would be forced to renounce the original citizenship.
Ukraine says this would not be recognised and, after the war, the citizenship change will be reversed.
According to Ukrainian legislation, a person who has several citizenships, one of which is Ukraine, is considered a citizen of Ukraine in relations with Ukraine.
More can be found on this story at:
- https://www.dw.com/en/russia-forces-occupied-ukrainians-to-change-citizenship/a-65522524
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainians-say-they-were-pressured-register-babies-russian-during-occupation-2023-03-03
- https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/04/29/putin-threatens-to-deport-ukrainians-from-regions-annexed-by-russia_6024766_4.html
- https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-citizenship-war-russia-weaponize-passport-passportization-mobilization-draft
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