Estonia introduces bill on dual citizenship — ERR News

In Estonia, parliamentary groups of the Reform Party and Eesti 200 have submitted to the Riigikogu a bill that would allow citizens of the country by birth to hold dual citizenship. ERR News reports.

The initiative provides that Estonians who acquired citizenship by birth will be able to apply for its restoration even if they previously lost or renounced it after acquiring citizenship of another state.

Rules to be aligned with practice

Estonia's Constitution prohibits depriving people who hold citizenship by birth of their citizenship. At the same time, the current Citizenship Act requires such people, if they also hold citizenship of another country, to choose between the two citizenships after reaching the age of 18.

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta of Eesti 200 called this approach unjustified. In her opinion, the legislation needs to be brought in line with the real situation, in which a person may wish to retain, for example, both U.S. and Estonian citizenship.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

List of countries and opposition objections

Dual citizenship is proposed to be permitted with states of the European Economic Area, as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. According to Pakosta, these countries are home to numerous Estonian communities.

The opposition questioned the need for the changes. Vadim Belobrovtsev, deputy chair of the Centre Party's parliamentary group, said that the bill requires broader discussion and that its application only to citizens by birth could give one group of people an advantage over others.

EKRE member of parliament Evelin Põllamets also drew attention to possible questions concerning compulsory military service: in particular, where a person with two citizenships should serve and to which country's reserve they would be assigned.